universal knowledge
by Mrs.Cebra
Summary: University offered them the possibility to learn, discover, debate, explore... but nobody ever said everything happened inside the classrooms.
1. Chapter 1: when it all began

**Disclaimer: **Inuyasha and its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi, this is purely fanbased and I donnot profit from it.

* * *

**When it all began**

They met in the university.

Looking back, I don't think there's any way it could have worked out any other way. Ever. They were too different, they argued all the time, petty arguments in which they wanted to engage everyone, no matter how stupid and pointless it all was. But it was almost like love at first sight. At least, that's what I think, but who wouldn't?

_It all started three years ago…_

Hey guys! What do you think of this dress? Do you think it would look good like this? She asked her parents as she lifted the hem of the dress in a bundle at her right; the dress in question, instantly looked very different. Her parents both agreed that it looked indeed a lot better that way. She had just made a new design out of the dress she had just bought.

It was these kind of things that suddenly made her feel nervous all over again about the career choice she had made. But there was no going back now.

In a few months, things would be very different from how they had been up until that moment. She was going to college, to study architecture. She wasn't even sure that was what she wanted, and had spent the best part of the last year convincing herself as well as everyone else this is what she wanted.

Life would be very different indeed. For starters, she had to move out of town, she had to go to an entire new city, to fulfill her so-called dream.

She took a look at herself in the mirror, fixing the dress for the third time in the last minute, and getting a final look over her whole outfit, she headed towards her room to change out of the dress; the next day would be her prom night, the end of her high school days. She signed. She was excited.

_Tomorrow will be the great day, gotta be ready for it. – _At that precise moment, she made a promise not to let anything ruin her night.

The next day, everything went smoothly, everything was planned out, and she made it to prom with only two fashionable hours of delay, instead of the usual three one would expect from her parents, but it was ok… the chocolate fountain, was already a mixed disaster of chopped fruit floating here and there with the occasional visitor who usually ended up with a dark spot on their otherwise perfect outfits, due to the spilled chocolate on the dessert table.

Over all, it was just great; people dancing everywhere, loud music, and very varied types of music too. She knew she was going to have fun.

The rest of the summer break went away with relatively little news, she went to the united kingdom for holidays, and came back from dreamland rather harshly on the event of the beginning of her new life away from her parents.

As she picked her very few belongings from her room, she couldn't help but wonder about the things she was going to do. From now on, she would be like those people who only ever get to travel home. Not that she was complaining, she just never really pictured herself like one of them.

_Never in my life did I think I was going to live in a big city, and look at me now._

_Yet I always thought I was going to stay here for as long as I could find myself. Not such a thing, you always end up losing yourself in the way of everything. Life is really unexpected._

She was pulled out of her thoughts as the sound of footsteps stopped in the door of her room

-Are you ready to go? Your father and I already got your luggage downstairs- said her mother as she looked at her quizzically

-yes, I think that is all- she got a feeling this was all too sudden, but let it go all the same.

She didn't know what would be her parents' reaction upon her departure, though she had a clue, and to be honest, she wasn't really sure she wanted to know.

_People react so different to situations; I don't even know how this is going to be for me. I've never been away from them for so long, maybe I'm going to start missing them all the time?.. Not likely; I've never been too dependent of them…_

-You'll have to call me every other day, if I don't call you. That way we'll always be communicated- said her mother from the passenger seat of the car, she was currently sitting in the backseat, though she couldn't really remember how she got there

- Ok mother, I'll call you when I can- she said detachedly

- We'll talk every day. Promise me- suddenly her voice turned serious and commanding

- Ok… everyday- _we'll see how long it lasts... Not that she doesn't have a strong resolve… but I don't think she really means all the time…_

She took a look at the rear mirror to see her father watching her while he drove to the airport. That was his way of saying he supported her mother in her insistence. She signed.

There were not many dramatic goodbyes waiting for her at her departure. In fact, probably her sister had a lot more people by her side when she went to England. She had gone overseas to learn the language. It was all good, anyways. Her sister deserved it and she had no need for it.

At times, she thought her sister was the only real good thing in that household, however different she was from her, she knew she deserved every good thing happening in her life

Contrary to popular belief, your parents don't always shape your personality, their influence in her- and her sister as well - was only in her morals; they were so different, in so many things; she was just considered the black sheep of the family. She was used to not spending a great amount of time with them; it was just the way things were.

Her father, always seemed to be the friendly type of person, always willing to do a lot of thing for his friends and family, he liked to crack jokes all the time, and was pretty much a people kind of person. Her mother, on the other hand, was the kind of secluded people who only had a handful of friends at work, though she never once failed to give everyone a bright smile, and often preferred not commenting on things she didn't like, for the sake of pleasing others.

However, their personalities were both very different at home. That was something she definitely didn't like about her parents. And deep down she knew, as she got on the plane, she was not only taking a new path in life. She was also escaping a reality that no longer had any place for her.

* * *

He signed in frustration. He had never had so much bad luck in his entire life.

Scratch that, his life had always been miserable, no matter how much he tried to ignore it at the best of his qualities.

Every single time he had something good coming his way, there was always something to screw that up.

There he was, on the graduation party, hosted at his house, and having a lot more drama than e needed for a lifetime.

Things went a little like this:

He had a girlfriend. The very first one to ever tell him she loved him, and then there was the girl who had ruined his entire high school days by rejecting him and humiliating him to the point he lost all his friends, and ended up a complete outcast from everyone.

At that precise moment, that girl was making a scene, which included revealing her attraction to him… in the less gracious of ways; she was drunk and slurring her words so much he had a hard time understanding what she had to say. Not that he cared, at this point.

You are mine- she said, as she stumbled upon a chair, or maybe it was her own feet

What?- he took a moment to register it was his girlfriend by his side the one who had spoken, he on the other hand, remained speechless. Nobody else had witnessed the embarrassing declaration. However, it had struck quite a few nerves without the needless attention.

He is mine, he belongs to me- she repeated

He could feel his girlfriend's eyes in him as he took her by the hand without saying a word. He didn't care. He had to do something about this mess, so he took her outside the party, and kissed her, Reassuring her. The other girl had pretty much lost the fight. But she probably didn't even realize that. He had been so blinded to ever like that girl, he hadn't even noticed how selfish she was.

And that was the most exciting moment of the whole night. Of course there had been plenty of drunken people in their party; it was, after all, the last time they would be together as an entire group. Some girls, lost the little respect their classmates had for them, and the aftermath, was of course a mess to clean and settle, once everyone had left. All in all, it was a pretty normal gathering, he was sure he would remember.

The rest of the vacations were spent in the usual boredom of school days, he worked, played in the computer, talked to some of his friends, and tried not to think of the next step he had to make. Go to the university. He still couldn't quite wrap his mind around it.

At first, when he had seen the results of the test he was meant to take in order to get in the university, he was disappointed. He had not made it in the first cut, so he was called for yet another try, only given to a small number of students as a way to keep the government happy.

In the second try, he got in, but he was still a little disappointed on himself. He knew he could have done better, he didn't like mediocrity.

_It doesn't matter, I got in... Now I have to prove I can do this. I need to prove myself I deserved to get in._ he sighed. Yes, indeed it mattered no longer.

_Tomorrow will be the welcoming speech. I can't miss it._

* * *

The following day, she was walking aimlessly around the campus

_This place is so big, I think it's going to take me some time getting used to it._ All the new students were gathered around the main auditorium, ready to hear the welcoming speech of the dean, and all the other important people in the university.

As she took a seat in the auditorium, she couldn't quite help but notice a few guys ahead of her, they were making quite a show; one, with a balding head topped by a small sort of hat, baggy clothes and a set of combat boots, kind of short and quite funny, if the looks he was getting from all those around him was anything to go by.

The other guy was not hyperactive as his friend and was taller too, had strange silver-like hair, and a particularly pale completion. He was dressed with a badly put together outfit which consisted of oversized beige pants and a colorful yellow and purple t-shirt, complemented by a rather fancy pelt over his right shoulder; though she couldn't decide yet if it looked glamorous or plain ridiculous.

It was almost as if he could take stuff from under his shirt at any moment and still nobody would be able to tell the difference. She laughed a little to her insides, as the dean instructed everyone present to sing along to the university hymn and they made a joke out of it. Deep inside of her, she had the sudden reflection of something aching to nostalgia.

_I hope I get to find friends like that. It would be a nice change to what I'm used to._

As the ceremony carried on, she got a few glances of the people around the auditorium and even managed to talk to a few of them, without being too shy about it. She wanted to make friends and good friends at that.

A few days passed, and it was already time for her first math classes, after all, in that university, it was mandatory for architects to learn the same mathematics as the engineers and people from every other career on campus.

As she entered the auditorium, she wondered briefly on where to sit. There were two areas, one at the top, and the other at the bottom. The way to the doors was right in the middle of these two areas. She finally decided on the row nearest to the middle; she had always liked to sit wherever was close to the doors, it was always easier that way, and she suspected her eyesight was not as good for the last rows.

She set her purse down on one of the retractable chairs of the auditorium, and then proceeded to sit. As she looked around for familiar faces, she noticed there was in fact one guy sitting in the front row from hers; he came from the same high school she did.

_Whoa! What are the odds? He he! _

_Hmm… Now…what was his name, again?... mmm…. I know his name... I just can't remember...I know it…who am I kidding? I couldn't remember to dress if I didn't have two mirrors in my room to look at myself every time I go out. Ok, think… you know his name, and you should at least say hi, it would be rude not to say it… hmm... maybe someone else is going to say his name once he starts talking?.._

She touched his shoulder to get his attention

- hey! How are you? - She said as she dedicated him one of her friendly smiles

- hey! What are the odds! Great to see you!

- yeah! What are the odds? Huh? What do you know of the rest? How many of us got in?- when she talked of them, she was of course referring to the people from her high school who had applied for that specific university.

- Almost all, except for two of them, I think, everyone else is here… you know…- and then he spoke the names of the people she barely knew as he counted with his fingers.

- yeah… hey… you know, I'm really bad with names, I know yours, but I can't seem to remember…- she said suddenly looking ashamed of herself.

- she's got some nerve, talking to you without even knowing your name, shippo, said the guy sitting next to him. As she adverted her eyes to him, she noticed he was the very same guy she had seen two days prior in the welcoming ceremony, she suddeny realized he had golden eyes, which she had failed to notice before, his hair was a little distracting at that.

- Umm... and you are?- she said in a playful tone. She didn't want to scare him off… or any of the other people around them.

- My name is Sesshoumaru- he said, as he extended his hand towards her

- Rin, she said, as she shook the offered hand. She took a moment to notice just how soft his hands were, and then he started talking again.

- Do you play the guitar?- he asked looking at the nail dangling from her neck.

- This? Oh, no... I used to be in a band, one of the members gave this to me before I decided to come here, what about you? Do you play the guitar? - She said taking a look at his nail, hanging from a chain around his neck the very same way hers was doing.

He shook his head, and quietly said he was still learning, as the teacher entered the room and started scribing in the clack board. The class was not very long, but at some point, he had managed to fill all three clack boards in the front of the auditorium

They all scribed furiously in the process, but overall, things where not so complicated on that first day, they were just getting a taste of what these things were like.

As she started picking up her things, she asked Shippo where he was going to take his meal; in the university, they had three cafeterias.

- Hmm.. I haven't really thought about it, but there's someone waiting for me…so..

- oh, that's ok… Don't worry, I was just asking, maybe I'm going with… hmm …Kaede- she said, not sounding so convinced herself.

- Hey, maybe Sesshoumaru here could join you- he said as he got away, waving goodbye as he left the two of them standing in the middle of the auditorium.

- Well, we might as well go for that lunch- he said, already walking away. She nodded her head, and they walked to the nearest cafeteria.

* * *

-.-


	2. Chapter 2: first impressions

**F****irst Impressions**

Sesshoumaru walked calmly towards the cafeteria, his baggy pants barely moved with the fluid motion of his strides, Rin on the other hand, managed to keep up, although one way or another, she always ended up walking behind him. Upon first sight, they looked as though she was always following him, but they talked the entire way to lunch.

Rin, he learned, was not originally from Japan. She came from the continent, although she had moved to the country right after she was born, so there was really no way to tell she was not Japanese, except for a few minimal differences in the way she used her language, which no one aside from him could have deciphered. Her parents were both very hard working people, though they only paid for her stay in the city, since she had a complete scholarship for her outstanding results in the admission test.

He could already see some quirks in her personality which no doubt belonged to someone who would probably turn out to be a great architect, or an Olympic disaster...the girl kept on talking oblivious to his silent assessing.

_She looks like an independent person__, definitely friendly, but not as outgoing as she seems- _he thought as she gestured wildly and talked passionately about her favorite artists. There was definitively something in her eyes as she spoke of colors, and shadows, and essence, which was not there when she spoke of the latest trends of fashion.

He then concluded she was a cultured person and although she cared for her appearance, she could not be judged as shallow. But more than anything, he observed her body language, the unspoken language she talked without even knowing.

_Her steps are short, she's proba__bly used to walking on her own…she has a good posture. Her strides are confident, in control of her body- _ he observed - _but she leans to one side _…_surely she carries a thousand useless stuff in that purse- _he thought, while looking at the bright orange in her otherwise gray purse. The thing was distracting to say the least; he was sure on a particularly sunny day it would have been physically impossible for him to look at it directly.

-…and then I plan on having dinner with my clown friends in the asylum…- she said, noticing the way he was eyeing her purse without listening to what she was saying.

- I was listening to you, and at any rate, I don't think your clown friends at the asylum would be too delighted to know you're talking to real people now…- he started walking again, leaving Rin behind as she rushed to catch up with him

-well, why were you staring at my purse so much?

-It's distracting- he said simply and as he looked at her face, he elaborated- my eyes are…sensitive to brightness- he said, as if he was trying to find the right way to put it.

- Well, maybe you should wear sunglasses, don't you think?

-indeed, but then I would have to buy new ones, since my ex girlfriend got rid of the last ones I had

-she got rid of them? How so? - She said, touching her lips in a funny anime fashion

-let's just say we didn't part on good terms…- he said as he once again changed the subject- so, what were you thinking when you bought that purse?

Rin giggled, deciding to go along with him and then explained it was a gift from her parents for her last birthday

so, when is your birthday?- he asked out of the blue

Why? Are you planning of giving me a gift? – she said playfully

I might be planning on getting you a replacement for that horrid thing – he replied as he pointed at her purse. Though Rin didn't quite know if he really meant it

Hey! I'm not criticizing your clothes…though I could- she added in an undertone, she really couldn't believe he would willingly dress like that

Why would you criticize my clothes? They serve the right purpose, unless of course, you would rather see me walking naked around campus… but even if that happened, I'm sure your purse would call more attention than I

Stop nagging me about it! It can't bother you that much!- she said as she purposely ignored his previous comment

How would you know?

Well I'm sorry if my bright colored purse offends your pretty eyes, your highness, however, there's next to nothing you can do about it- she said as she inclined her head and replayed an exaggerate bow for him.

He stopped walking, wondering if she had really just mocked him

Are you coming sweetheart? – she said, trying to cover up the fact she had just made a compliment on his eyes, after all, he had to know they were, in fact, very beautiful.

You haven't answered my question

January 21st- she said over her shoulder.

He briefly wondered if her blushing face had anything to do with the sun

-.-

The next day, after math classes, they both walked out of the auditorium together, this time, they were headed to the administration office on campus, apparently, there was some kind of trouble processing Rin's scholarship and as a result, she did not show up on the regular inscription data.

Sesshoumaru showed her the way to the office. Although he was also a freshman, he used to go to the university when he was younger, so he knew every place there was to know on campus, as she would later find out.

Once they got to the office, Rin explained the situation and the secretary got a few papers for her to sigh, the paperwork was a long a tedious process; it became very obvious to the both of them it was not very often a student got a scholarship at that university.

-So, why did you come here when you were younger?-she asked as she handed over the last of the forms she had to fill

- My father used to work here, he taught ancient folklore of Japan, and he wrote three theses on the history of this country

-whoa! That most have been so nice, to grow up in such environment…is he jubilated? – She asked him out of curiosity

-No, he died a few years ago – he said as he walked out of the small office.

She took that as a sigh he didn't want to talk about it, and instead, chose to change the subject.

So… I take it you had no trouble with your inscription?- she said, looking at her feet

He took a moment to realize his earlier reaction to her question had made her uncomfortable, so he gladly accepted her silent offer to change the subject

No, everything went just fine, although I don't have a scholarship, so I have to cover my own expenses

You mean your parents, right?

no, I mean myself…- _yes…I can afford it_– and I dislike repeating myself- he added for good measure

but… then…t-t that means…- _is he serious?_

Stop spluttering, I don't go around talking to fools…- he said indifferently

_I swear sometimes I can feel his ego oppressing the air around me_

-.-

In the following days they barely saw each other in the hallways, and managed to wave a casual greeting to one another, without it being too awkward.

Sesshoumaru had skipped two out of four classes and didn't spare a moment around other people on campus; occasionally, he talked to Jaken, the friend Rin had recognized the day of the welcoming speech. Even at those moments, he seemed guarded and kept to himself. Conversations never went beyond the hallways and he made sure not to comment more than what was absolutely necessary.

On the other hand, Rin had attended to most of the first classes for each subject; her classes where filled with people from different careers and she tried to be as warm and friendly to everyone as it was possible. Her favorite subject yet was ethics. In that class, they would often discuss the role of each individual in society, the impact of people's actions, and sometimes, they even discussed on more philosophical matters such as the nature of mankind.

She managed to make a new friend; she was a quiet girl from her English classes whose name was Kikyo. Upon first sight, it seemed like she had nothing to complain about, she was a beautiful woman. Her tall, slender figure and perfect hair made Rin a little envious of her; she was also very smart, from what Rin could tell upon reading the first essays she wrote. But there was something in the way she talked that made her wonder if she really wanted to be in that place, she seemed unsatisfied of many things, including her career choice. Kikyo was not in control of her own life; on one hand, she wanted to please her parents, so she was studying geology, but she really wanted to be a writer. So she spent most days writing away while the days passed in slow motion by her side.

Rin had not become her friend out of pity, rather, she reminded her of someone, though she couldn't really think of whom it was.

She entered the auditorium for the third time that week. As she approached the row where she usually sat, she realized Sesshoumaru was already there. There was a bag on the seat next to him, which he promptly removed upon her arrival. She saw his eyes, as Shippo kept on babbling some nonsense to him in the background.

She smiled as she took the seat without saying a word; she already knew he had saved that seat for her. He didn't make a comment either, by then, the teacher had already made his entrance to the auditorium… and Shippo had realized Sesshoumaru was no longer paying attention to him.

The rest of the class went by in a blur, as time progressed agonizingly slowly through the lesson, they realized the teacher they had been assigned was bound to fail more than half the people attending that auditorium, at the moment, that included both Rin and Sesshoumaru

Sesshoumaru stood up first and then waited for Rin to pick up her belongings, as the auditorium emptied. She smiled at him, and they started moving to the doors.

Neither of them knew exactly how, but one way or another, they had started eating together as an habit, the university campus had all three cafeterias open for all three meals of the day, so naturally, they made a point out of spending each meal trying to figure out which one had the best food, and eventually, everyone grew used to seeing them together around campus.


	3. Chapter 3: time to make exceptions

**Disclaimer:** Inuyasha and its characters donnot belong to me, nor do I profit from this story.

* * *

**Time to make exceptions**

Sesshoumaru didn't usually make friends, in fact, he avoided everyone as a rule; he did spend time with some people at times, but they were not his friends, if anything, he barely managed to put up with them; he found them… acceptable enough not to want to punch them... most of the time.

There was a group of his… acquaintances with whom he spent time drinking, or doing sports. In exchange, he had to pretend to listen to their petty inconveniences with reality. But they knew him to be quiet and kept to himself, so he didn't have to be such a hypocrite. When he wouldn't pronounce a word, they simply assumed he was a good listener. And he was… they just seemed to believe he was listening to them and he had never bothered correcting things, after all, no one could really play football on their own.

The other group was composed by people he didn't really care about, but it was equally convenient to have them at his disposal. Such was the group of people with whom he had studied in high school. Whenever he thought about them, he felt all the more superior than he usually did. And that was a lot. Jaken belonged more to the first group than the second. Although in all honesty, Sesshoumaru didn't really have any reason to dislike the kid. He only found him annoying on most occasions, but he cared enough to hate him at times.

Such was the case at the moment; he was trying really hard not to succumb to the impulse to silent the toad… permanently. He started daydreaming of the different possibilities; he concluded making him swallow his own tongue would be fitting enough. If only he couldn't get expelled for killing a fellow classmate.

He resisted the urge to sigh. At times, his life felt truly miserable-_ And as a result, I get migraine…._

He usually got headaches at the mere sight of his sidekick, as people would often call Jaken. Usually, though, he was able to completely turn off the sound of his voice, were it not for the fact that he was not feeling particularly focused of what he was doing at the moment.

He felt his eyes sting; it was usually a sign his temper was reaching the top. He had to admit, at times, he was not the most easy-going person in the world.

-_If only he would get the hint…-_ he touched the bridge of his nose, as Jaken started yet another topic in his monologue.

He kept babbling in the background, no matter the fact that Sesshoumaru failed to answer even half of one question, he just kept asking, and talking, and squealing and talking, and gesturing, and talking some more…

_Be silent! – _Sesshoumaru felt his eyes irritating as his headache worsened.

Suddenly, Jaken cut himself off in the middle of his phrase. He got shivers travelling all over his spine, as it sometimes happened when he was talking to Sesshoumaru. Only he had the power to make him feel uncomfortable from one second to the other without uttering a single word.

Thankfully; at that precise moment, the silent man turned to look out the window of the 3rd store in the library they were currently occupying. He suddenly felt his entire body shake as he saw the ever-silent and serious Sesshoumaru lift the corners of his mouth in something resembling a smirk. Something had caught his attention… and for the life of him, he didn't want to know what it was.

Jaken managed to move as he gathered control of his little body and grabbed his bag and books as he left the table, without daring to call the attention of his friend.

_I swear, I wouldn't like to be on that guy's bad side. Ever…_

_

* * *

_

As the end of the week neared, Rin wondered if it would be a good Idea introducing Kikyo and Sesshoumaru. There were sure some things to consider. For instance, Sesshoumaru didn't seem like the kind of people who would appreciate being introduced to anyone. At least, that's what everyone said - _Then again, I don't see a reason why people would think that way of him, he doesn't seem like a bad person to me… _

_Kikyo looks like someone he could grow used to...She's a nice person. And I think I could really benefit from having my friends know each other…I wouldn't have to go around trying to please both separately._

_I wonder if it would be such a good idea… well, they are both my friends… at least I think they are…- _she remembered Kikyo's gentle smile as they talked earlier about literature. The girl had been opening up a little more to her, though sometimes she got the feeling they weren't talking about the same things.

Sesshoumaru was entirely another story, their conversations were often based on very banal subjects: the weather, a brand of shoes, music, the pigeons on campus… she couldn't really explain why she liked those conversations so much. He always seemed to have his own opinion on things, and neither of them would give into please the likes of the other, so usually, those pointless conversations carried on for hours.

She realized in the matter of a week, she had already made a routine with her classmate without the usual boredom it usually entailed being a part of one. Her days had carried on like this:

She would get to classes first thing in the morning, then, they would meet for lunch. There was usually another period after that one, and around 2:00 pm they would meet again to continue the conversation were they left off the day before. Instead of reaching a conclusion, they would move on to the next subject.

Without realizing where her feet were carrying her, she ended up in front of the library.

She never really knew what he did when she was occupied with her classes, but he always knew where to find her. _Maybe he's spying on me? - _She had to laugh at that thought, as the imagined his raised eyebrow if he were to hear her speak such nonsense.

At that moment, she made up her mind

I definitely will introduce them, they will surely become friends and then we can hang around and make our own three people club… Yes! Definitely- she added loudly, as she had not realized she was speaking to herself...again. People looked at her like she had surely lost her mind and she briefly wondered how long she had been standing in the same spot, fantasizing about things yet to come.

She suddenly got the feeling creeping down her arms as if she was being watched. Then she continued to her second class of the day. _Math…_

_

* * *

_

He sat in the usual spot at the upper side of the front rows; the seats were not assigned, and he was not about to fight for the seating arrangement, but, as is usual, people always sat in the same seats, even without beign forced to do so. He had always thought it was quite amusing how that happened, but never gave it too much importance. To seshhoumaru, people around him were a little like mouse rats, they were always fun to watch, and play with, experiment with…until the experiment was proved wrong, and then, no one really made a point out of petting a lab rat.

Around him, he saw people gathered around groups desperately trying to befriend anyone remotely alike them. Trying to impress one another to the point the auditorium looked pretty much like a circus. Every girl in that place was so heavily made up he briefly wondered if they thought that would get them extra credits from the math professor. He immediately rejected the idea. Most of them didn't even look like they were considering the idea of approving the course.

_How very little pride they have… this university is surely coming to decay, if they let any fool in, nowadays._

Very little people sat near him, in fact, the small group of people he knew from the first day of school had not modified any. He even vaguely considered it had perhaps become smaller.

_Nevermind that, less people I have to pretend to bother with._

He chanced a look around himself, pointedly ignoring the false modesty in the girls who tried to look innocent while ogling over him. He was used to that, he didn't care for it, not particularly, unless of course, one of them was stupid enough to take him for an ignorant. He was not naïve, nor was he "emotionally unintelligent" as his psychiatric had once put it. He knew what people wanted, he was just too proud to concede it. He didn't hate people, he disliked some of their attributes.

There were of course some attributes he could not quite ignore. He hated the way they all clicked their high heels on the freshly polished wooden floors, the way their false laughter erupted throughout the whole open space, the way their foul scented perfumes floated in the barely breathable auditorium, and then the fools wooing their every badly tinted hair.

-_no need to categorize them, they are all just as unworthy of my attention…_

_And then, there's her…-_ he saw her talking to that… kid in front of the auditorium entrance a while before she decided to enter. She was smiling, as she always did. He knew it was because of the way she was, rather than whatever the boy was saying, he seemed barely old enough to be accepted into the university without the assistance of his parents, though probably it was also the effect of his multiple freckles in his face.

He watched discretly as he boy gestured in all directions while pacing between his feet, then looking away from her as he talked. He had Rin practically cornered against the entrance doors, like he had no knowledge of personal space. Sesshoumaru could see his high ponytail bouncing everytime he gestured to her like he was trying too hard to get her attention.

He talked to Rin like he knew her, and he could tell she was a little clueless of him, however that didn't stop her from waving an energic farewell in his direction as the clearly nervous boy walked the other way, and far from his eyes.

He could see why the kid was nervous; Rin was a very charismatic person, even if she was deep down very shy and he had to admit she would probably fit the category of a very desirable woman to any man; at least, she seemed to fit the popular standard of beautiful women. Then, he looked around as he remembered his private musings. He decided it was probably not just any man that would find her beautiful.

-_common sense is, after all, highly overrated _

__

_

* * *

_

Rin walked briskly towards her seat, right beside his, that's the way it had been for the past week, they had gotten used to that, he always got there before her and he saved her a seat. She liked that.

She chanced a look out the auditorium doors, right before they were closed, the professor didn't like to be disturbed and she almost got sidetracked by Kohaku.

That was the name of the boy she had just recently met. He claimed he was Sango´s brother and apparently he was a year older than her, although he looked her age. Sango had insisted she got into that university; she was, after all, the best friend of her sister's, but she didn't really know her that much. Much less her fidgety brother, who had readily assumed she would have trouble socializing among the people on campus.

She laughed quietly as she remembered how he had tried to warn her off people like Sesshoumaru, who looked "much too serious not to be cautious" at the moment, he had not known she had already befriended the man.

She felt as her silent classmate turned to her and she cast a look sideways to him while she shook her head. It was that way they usually communicated all through the class. It was clear enough to understand, and usually it would be open to inquiry once they left the auditorium. She kept furiously scribing the confusing notes from the clackboard while she smiled to herself.

She had never really liked math, but this time around, it did not seem so bad.

-.-


	4. Chapter 4: the way to get in trouble

**disclaimer:** I donnot own inuyasha nor do I profit from this.

* * *

**The way to get in trouble**

Things were going rather well, Sesshoumaru had fallen into an easy routine, and having Rin around most of the time did nothing to change that, the girl brought enough excitement to his life as it was. She would always ramble to no end about this and that, always making interesting comments and at times, when he began to think she was somehow naïve, she managed to surprise him by doing the exact opposite of what he expected of her.

Rin, he had decided, was not at all like the other girls.

Every time he tried to figure her out, label her, classify her according to what he had seen and knew for a fact about girls, and overall, about women too, she just proved the gods wrong. He was not used to being proven wrong.

He was not used to any of this, and yet, it seemed so natural… he was beginning to believe there was something really rather odd about the apparently innocent girl. So naturally, he followed her. Once, well, more than once… but it was only for the brief time of a week. By the end of the first week he realized she was not evil… didn't seem to be overly interested in banal things, although he had to admit she dressed appropriately, and there was always the extra credit she received in his eyes from the fact that she had a scholarship. It meant two things, the first, she didn't belong to the social elite he practically owned and she had to be exceptionally smart in order to accomplish that.

He secretly admired her resolve to always be the best, but at times like that, he didn't feel so sure.

* * *

Rin had been struggling with math, it had been three weeks since the star of the term and the first test was scheduled for the week after that, she felt she understood everything (mostly) while she was in the classes, but as soon as she got out of the auditorium, she was blank. Her memory was usually not that bad. If anything, the only reason she got out of high school with flying colors was because of her good memory. She didn't think it was a matter of being overly smart, the real key was to pay attention.

That week, she had realized her usual antics were not working this time around, even if it worked pretty well with the rest of her classes. It was just not the same. And she couldn't fail. She would not be able to stand failure, though in the back of her mind, she would admit to herself she also didn't want _him_ to see her fail.

_I have always hated this subject, it just keep following me everywhere, therefore, I have to succeed in the next test and get the best note I can achieve. I'll give it my best!_

_If__ you don't like it, why would do you give it your best?_

_Because, that way I can prove to myself I am capable of doing things the right way, even if it doesn't please me. I think it's a pride thing...hehe..._

_Certainly… _

He hadn't said anything else. As a matter of fact, that was one of those frequent occasions in which he saw her with a strange gleam in his eyes she had come to accept as a good sign.

She didn't know him, at least not objectively. If someone were to ask her about him she wouldn't be able to say what his parent's names were, why he had decided to study there, how old was he, why was his hair silver/white? Why did he always wear those strange clothes? Why didn't he have that many friends, why did he always stare at peoples shoes, did he have any siblings? How many girlfriends had he had?

She sighed- _I really don't know him at all, but I feel as if I did. Sometimes, I wish I could be his friend forever…_

That thought was left in the air, as she realized it had suddenly started raining, rather hard, and her umbrella was still inside her purse, unopened.

She rushed to the nearest building in hopes of keeping her books from getting wet, as they were very expensive, and some of them, she had borrowed from the library. She put all her belongings in an empty desk inside the building as she got the umbrella out of the mess she usually called her purse. _He's right; I always carry a lot more stuff than are worth…_

She quickly finished getting her books and just as she was about to cross the corner, she saw him.

She knew it was him, after all, there was no other man on campus with silver locks like his, sure, there were people with purple and all kinds of pink or fake red you could encounter, however, none of them were silver. Only _he _had silver hair.

She breathed slowly, trying to capture the very sight of her classmate/friend at that precise moment. His hair was soaking wet from the rain, his skin, if possible, seemed even whiter than it usually was- his_ eyes, they are like a dream…_

She was staring, she knew she was staring at him, she knew it was rude, she also knew he wouldn't care… and if he did, then she could always apologize later.

-_How is it possible for someone to look so fierce and foreign just by standing a little too long under the rain? - _she smiled at him, all the while admiring the unnatural shine of his hair, which seemed to float around him, even though it was so long it should have been in a very bad shape, or at the very least, have the decency to stick to his face.

-_instead, it's just cascading down his shoulders_- she walked slowly towards him, he was watching her very intently and she didn't quite want to ruin a perfect memory. As she approached him, she noticed how his pants weighted down on his hips, to the edge of politically accepted pants for a very tempting man. This however, she disregarded the next second. She knew he was handsome from the moment she saw him, baggy clothes or not, it was rather obvious he had a perfect body.

-_and I should not be taking advantage of fleeting situations such as these… however convenient they might seem at the moment._

He was watching her every step. Every time she took a step further she would slow down, until there was no more than 3 feet between them and she finally greeted him, though it wasn't entirely what he was thinking she would say

You look different-

I don't believe I am any different today from any other day, however, it is quite obvious I have basked in the glory of the rain, so I should say that is why I look rather different, as you put it- he responded in an excessively formal tone, obviously being his sarcastic self, though she didn't' pay much attention to that.

She giggled at his words, but then chose to remain quiet, and instead covered both of them with her single umbrella.

Even though he was dripping wet he decided against pointing it out, the umbrella was just an excuse to talk quietly the whole way to the next class.

The rest of the day went by in a blur; she never realized when classes were over. The whole day the image from that afternoon kept popping into her thoughts.

* * *

-So… who is he? - Rin turned to the inquisitive brown eyes next to her.

-Who is who? - She asked oblivious to the question Kikyo was posing to her.

-Well, I'm guessing you either have some very deep issues unresolved in your life, or you have a very big infatuation-she deadpanned

-umm… not really…I tend to daydream a lot, and it usually doesn't involve anything so exciting- she said looking way too innocent for her own good.

- I guess so… anyways, I need to ask you something…

-About what?

-do you think you could help me to study for math? I'm not really getting any of the subjects and the first test is due for next week.

- I would, but I'm actually not doing too well myself. I could ask a friend though…

-that would be fine too.

The teacher entered the classroom, and soon afterwards they were assigned to work on a short composition regarding real life events.

By the end of the class, Rin had arranged for Sesshoumaru and Kikyo to meet for a study session. So they were on their way.

As it turned out, it was the worse idea she could have ever thought.

Even though Sesshoumaru and Kikyo seemed so much alike, they hated each other instantly. Sesshoumaru was too arrogant and egocentric, while Kikyo was too detached and introspective.

-_great, just great… you really outdid yourself this time Rin…_

They never actually said anything, but as soon as they shook hands she felt the air around her get thicker, oppressive, in a way she found quite uncomfortable.

Sesshoumaru's eyes got cold and distant, like he was touching the most disgusting creature in the face of earth. She had made a resolve to call him out on his attitude later…that was until she turned the other way just in time to see Kikyo trying to cover up a scowl in her otherwise flawless face.

-_What is going on here? I feel like I'm missing out on something_

-Do you guys know each other? She could have sworn she felt a shock coursing through her the moment Sesshoumaru turned to face her, while wiping his hand on the fabric of his pants.

-_What is wrong with him? He's not usually like this!_

- Why would I go through this if I had already known her?

- Don't be ridiculous-this time, it was Kikyo's turn to be rude, as she adverted her eyes from the scene and started to walk away from the two of them.

She didn't know what to do or how to react, for that matter. She felt ashamed and disappointed on the both of them, but she couldn't really muster the strength to argue with her friends, as she suddenly felt dizzy. Like all energy had been drained from her. She felt his hand on her shoulder, stabilizing her.

_-she was too close to that exchange_

-why did you have to act like that? She said after a while

- I don't know… there's just something about her...

-Something about her? - She couldn't believe her ears; in the little time she had known him she could only be sure of one thing: Sesshoumaru was not irrational. He didn't act on impulse or guided by emotions. –_there has to be something else_

- I cannot explain it, I'm not even sure why myself, but…it seemed as though… he couldn't finish the sentence, he knew it would sound ridiculous.

-…as though what? She looked at him expectantly.

-… it seemed like she was pulling on my soul.

* * *

Rin decided her two only friends could definitely not be put in the same room, every time she tried to make amends for their first meeting, she would end up tired and something strange seemed to transpire in the air around them. She was not stupid enough to try to pull that off again.

So instead of trying to get together with them to study for math, she decided to call for someone else's help.

-Over here! - He said, waving frantically to a table in the university library.

-hey! Kohaku! Thank you so much for this- she said, sitting down across from him on the table.

- not a problem, you can always ask for my help- he said smiling broadly as she sat and got her books out.

-so what do you need me for.

- Hehe... basically? Everything, I'm clueless to the whole subject and I need some serious help.

-ok, in that case, I'll do my best to teach you everything there is to know.

They got down to work for a few hours and soon she realized it was dark outside. They had spent most of the afternoon studying and by the time she noticed, it was already 7. She hadn't realized the moment the library was left almost empty as she was too preoccupied studying.

She hadn't noticed either how close Kohaku had gotten to her the whole time. Though she did recall him moving to the seat next to her and saying something about it being "a lot more comfortable that way"…

Her phone started buzzing inside her purse and she got up to take the call, but as she was about to walk away the librarian warned them the library would be closed in the next five minutes, so they took their things and Rin talked on the phone as they got out of the building.

She was in fact, so animated talking on the phone she didn't notice when Kohaku stopped following, that is, until after she had reached her dorm. He hadn't even said goodbye, and she never got a chance to thank him. At that moment she made a mental note to make it up to him. If only she had known then what was coming her way.

-.-


	5. Chapter 5: ulterior motives

**Disclaimer:** I donnot own Inuyasha, nor do I claim possesion of any of its characters.

**Ulterior Motives**

Sometimes people said she was naïve. She had never considered herself such, preferring instead to think she was just too quick to think good of everyone around her. At that moment though, she had to admit she had been rather naïve.

The day before she had spotted Kohaku during a break she had in between classes. Instead of being selfish and careless, she had insisted on going over to him and thank him personally for his help for the math test two days prior. Sesshoumaru had given no second though on the fact that Kohaku probably had done that just to get closer to her. She had naïvely said he was being paranoid and thinking too much into Kohaku's kindness. That's when she went over to him to greet him.

- Kohaku! Hey! How are you?

- Rin... I'm fine, thanks. What about you? How are you? - He said turning his back on the people he was talking to. Rin could only assume they were not his friends.

- I'm great; you know you never gave me a chance to thank you for what you did for me the other day. I was really stuck on that subject, you know?

- Yeah, that was a really long night. I was kind of tired after all the exertion you put me through.

- I'm so sorry…I really am, I didn't mean to bother you. But if it makes you feel better, I think I scored a decent qualification.

- It doesn't really make me feel better, why would it? - He said playfully, as his friends spoke in low tones behind him while looking at her not-so-discretely

- Ok, what can I do to thank you for what you have done for me?

- Spend a day with me- he said in a serious tone- behind him, she could hear the snickers and barely contained laugher at what he had said. Apparently his friends were really enjoying the conversation.

- A day? That's it? - She said, suddenly happy Kohaku was not making her do anything nasty for payback.

- Yep. Only a day, we'll have our food together, and study, you know? Get to know each other a little more.

-Sounds good. When? – She asked

-Tomorrow. I'll see you at the north cafeteria at 7:00 - with that, he parted, his friends were already making remarks as they all walked away, but even if Rin couldn't hear them, she had a feeling they were talking about her.

* * *

Sometimes he really wondered if Rin was that naïve as some sort of show or if she really just happened to lack any useful knowledge on the world happening around her. He saw her as she walked around with that fool, _like she owned him something_. He almost felt disgusted at the sight of them. He strolled away as they neared. He didn't want Rin to see him in case she decided to make him act civil towards the fellow.

_-She should know better than to offer any kind of retribution to anyone- _he averted his cold eyes from the pair and walked away. Even though he could feel her as she turned to watch him stroll away, he didn't want to break his resolve.

_- I don't even know why I care- _as he left the cafeteria, he bumped into a careless girl on the door. She spilled the contents of her cup on his button up shirt and it was left pretty much ruined, but he didn't stay long enough to hear her excuses. He wanted to get away from the cafeteria, the sight of Rin and that good-for-nothing moron was enough to make him lose his appetite.

_-__He seems upset about something – _she quietly watched as Sesshoumaru walked out of the cafeteria. Not before watching in slow motion as her friend bumped onto another familiar face. _–Sango._

She held her breath for the five seconds it took her to realize Sesshoumaru didn't even acknowledge the stain on his perfect shirt. _He does look good in white…_

… Earth to Rin!Are you listening to me?

_Not particularly…_Of course I am Kohaku, look! There's Sango- she said quickly

And she doesn't look too happy. What's wrong sis?- he asked, ruffling Sango's hair as if she were his pet

That… asshole! – She said as she tightened her fist at her sides. She was clearly fuming about her last encounter. Rin shifted uneasy on her seat as she realized her friend was going to leave a hole on her shirt if she kept scrubbing the coffee stain on of the cotton fabric._ She has always had a short temper for most things._

What happened? - She asked trying to sound casual. She knew Kohaku hadn't seen Sesshoumaru, otherwise she would have already heard the morning sermon about staying in the right company, and she was never in the mood for that.

Miroku and I had a fight, so naturally I stopped by the coffee chart to calm my nerves, and here I was trying to get pass the door when this man practically runs me over in his way out. He didn't even apologize! – She kept scrubbing on her shirt the whole time she talked.

He was the one who tripped you? _I think I saw it entirely differently… _Sango stopped scrubbing her shirt mid-motion, she suddenly looked confused

Of course he was, Rin, I was there, remember?

_What I do remember is how you always blame your clumsiness on other people…._

What? You've got something to say?

Out the corner of her eye, she could see Kohaku leaning closer to her in an attempt to keep his sister's raging rant to a minimum. She could help thinking maybe Sesshoumaru had been right about his ulterior motives as he brushed his fingertips o n the back of her hand so quickly she thought for a moment she had imagined it.

-Miroku… You mean your boyfriend, right? - She asked while she put a toast on her mouth to stop herself from speaking too much, she really didn't want to get on Sango's bad side.

- yes, Miroku… my longtime boyfriend who still doesn't get the hint about taken man not touching other girls…That skank, I swear if I ever see her, I'll make sure she never takes me for granted again.

- He he... Calm down sis… here, have my cup of coffee- Kohaku said handing over his half drunk coffee. H_e seems so used to her behavior, I don't know if he doesn't care or if he's really just like that all the time._

Sango drank the coffee in one single gulp and as soon as she set the cup down walked away from them. Kohaku looked bored.

-_I guess he's just used to that._

* * *

Sesshoumaru's mood had only worsened through the rest of the morning. To be fair, he had never been too much of a morning person. In fact, the only reason he went early to the cafeteria to have breakfast was because Rin had made a habit for the both of them to share all meals of the day, and he rather enjoyed having her company as a first-thing-in-the-morning event. Her mere presence usually had a calming effect on him.

That was the main reason he was snapping at everyone that single morning. Someone else was having a piece of his own personal privilege on Rin's time.

-_how dare he think he can just dispose of Rin's time? As if she owned him anything! I could have help her study for that poor excuse of math test - _He felt the pressure cursing trough him, he couldn't really explain why, but sometimes, feeling impassive had that effect on him, he felt as if something was trying to overtake him; at the moment, he had a very strong urge to rip to shreds the table in front of him.

Jaken watched his friend from the corner of his eye. Suddenly, it was all very clear to him why he had felt on edge all morning. Sesshoumaru had a tendency to make other people feel his wrath, though he never knew how he managed to accomplish that. Asides from the goose bumps all over his spine and the occasional void feeling in his stomach, there never seem to be a way to figure out his frosty friend. He appeared as normal as usual. All except for the stain on his usually perfect shirt.

_If only I didn't know better- _Jaken sometimes feared Sesshoumaru. That was probably one of those days. He had known him for quite a while, and he knew what it meant when his eyes saw right through everyone. Sesshoumaru was in a bad mood.

_I don't know that brat he's always talking about, but at least she keeps him in an exceptionally good spirit-_ not that it was very noticeable, but Jaken knew because that semester Sesshoumaru had actually greeted him every morning before going on his usual business.

_It might only be "hn's" and the cold "Jaken" or the occasional silent nod my way…_ _but at least he bothers… _Jaken almost had a heart attack the moment Sesshoumaru's eyes turned on him, he'd been caught watching, and those eyes turned colder, if possible.

Sesshoumaru had always wondered why Jaken found it so interesting to watch him all the time, he felt like a caged animal at the zoo and it made him feel exposed.

Jaken let out a strangled "eep!" as he packed his things and got out of the classroom before the lesson was over. He already knew everything there was to know about that subject.

* * *

Right before math class, Rin joined Kohaku to his class across the auditorium, as she stood there, she got a glimpse of Sesshoumaru, and he walked right past her without missing a single step.

-_Is he angry at me?- _Rin watched his retreating back for the second time that day, he still had the coffee stain on his shirt from before, but she was sure this time, he had seen her, it was just a second, but she was sure she had not imagined it. _For a moment, his eyes found mine…_

-suddenly she felt very sad, for some reason, she realized she had become used to talking to Sesshoumaru everyday on very regular basis. _Although it's only been two months since I got here, I feel like I want to be with him all the time-_ She waved goodbye to Kohaku without even looking at him, she was intent on finding Sesshoumaru to talk to him.

The moment Kohaku turned her way again, she was gone, He was getting tired of her lack of attention towards him, but as the teacher approached, he forgot all about Rin and entered the classroom, right before he closed the classroom, though, he got a glimpse of white near the corner. He only knew one person who always seemed to radiate white.

As Rin rounded the corner, she heard a door slam behind her, she had a few guesses, however, at the moment, it didn't matter _he should be close enough to reach…or maybe not- _she stood alone at the very beginning of the hallway, not a single trace of the man she had just seen seconds ago. It was like he had evaporated in the air.

Just as she was about to head to the auditorium, she saw shippo at the other end of the hallway. The minute he saw her, he ran towards her, nearly running her over.

-Rin! Here you are! I was looking for Sesshoumaru, but he's not close by, anyway, I needed to tell you guys tonight there's going to be an extra class for those of us who need help in math. And myoga's using the auditorium right now, so we're pretty much stuck with whatever we get for refund.

- So, basically, our math class has been moved for tonight and because of myoga's antics, we have no say on the matter...

-pretty much… well, I trust you'll be able to deliver the message to Sesshoumaru, I haven't seen him all day…-

-he he, well, actually I haven't …. _Either_…- She added to herself. Shippo had already left.

* * *

Rin never found Sesshoumaru, and by the time lunch hour came around, she had given up on seeing him for the rest of the day, for some reason, the fact she couldn't find him made her believe maybe he didn't want to be found.

_- I don't even know what I did… though I'm certain he wouldn't tell me anything, not while I'm with Kohaku-_ she shoved her food around the plate for the twentieth time since she had been sitting. _I'm so used to eating with him; I had forgotten how uncomfortable it was to eat alone._

At that exact moment Kohaku entered the cafeteria, looking for something… _or someone…_ she tried to duck her head to avoid him, but at that precise moment, the only thing blocking Kohaku's view of her was suddenly removed from his field of vision, so he didn't hesitate twice to take his tray to her sadly empty table.

-Rin! Good thing I found you! Didn't I tell you to wait for me outside your classroom?

-umm… not that I remember, he he… I don't think so…- she fixed her eyes on her disgustingly mixed food, and did her best not to puke as she shoved a bite down her throat. If she took too long eating Kohaku wouldn't leave.

- You won't believe what happened to me today. I met this guy, Naraku, he was one of Sango's ex's, and he wanted me to run some errands for him; he promised to pay me big money and he suggested getting other people in as well.

- Hmm... Great- she said without enthusiasm, she hadn't been paying attention to anything he had been saying, her mind was obviously elsewhere.

-so, do you want in? I think it's easy money; I don't know why Sango broke up with him, I think he's a pretty awesome guy, he even offered to give me something in advance if I get some things done by the end of the week- He said, getting so exited he was spitting half the food he had precariously got into his mouth after not having even swallowed the last bite.

If she had wanted to puke before, the sight of him made her feel repulsed and a little ashamed of being in the same table as that…caveman- _better not to look at him- _she nodded enthusiastically, not once taking her eyes off her food, she almost shocked on the orange juice she drank afterwards and left the table as fast as her many stuff allowed her. Usually, Sesshoumaru would take her stuff, but Kohaku didn't seem too interested in chivalry, so she let him be.

She was just about to make her exit, when she noticed Kohaku was right at her side and following despite her obvious attempts to get away from him.

So Rin, about what I told you, what do you think? Are you going to give it a shot?- he asked her and she couldn't help but notice two of her classmates looking at her with their astonished faces, she got a feeling they interpreted Kohaku's question entirely differently.

She thought for a moment what he might possibly be asking, and then it occurred to her he was talking about that job offer. _Easy money, he said._

Well, what kind of errands are we supposed to do? - She asked, not really interested, but asking anyways not to appear rude.

Just carry some boxes to an empty building downtown, move some vials, stuff like that- he said nonchalantly, casually poking his hands in his pockets

I don't know Kohaku, it all sounds pretty fishy to me, what's in those boxes? - She said, sounding a little skeptical – what's the catch?

He didn't say, look, if you don't want in, that's ok, I just thought you might need the money, since you're living alone and all- he hurried his pace and Rin took that as a sign the conversation was over.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon went by slowly as they talked over some very banal subjects such as the girls on campus what was last on MTV, Kohaku's wardrobe, Kohaku's cell phone, his favorite type of food, his muscles, his grades on every subject… by the time six rolled around, Rin pretended to laugh at everything he said, she was afraid if she talked she was never going to get her brain-cells back.

Thankfully, Kohaku had already had enough of talking about himself, and decided to treat them both for donuts in one of the stands in front of the auditorium.

It took him no more than two seconds to decide which type of donnut he wanted, then, he waited patiently for her to make her choice.

At that precise moment, Sesshoumaru entered the auditorium _always on time; no matter the circumstances… _she took a step his way without realizing it.

Then, she ordered the first thing that came to her mind, still looking as Sesshoumaru gracefully walked through the side door of the auditorium, her face lit up immediately.

_-_Riiiiiinnnnn! Come on! Were you even listening to me? - He said passing a caramel donut her way.

Sometimes, Rin got a feeling Kohaku had some really bad mood swings. She had a hard time keeping up, even more given the fact that she had already gotten used to Sesshoumaru's calm behavior.

_-_ hmm… yeah sure, hmm… I think I'm gonna save mine for later, I need to get to class she said, dumpling the money before rushing to the auditorium.

_-_Wait, your class doesn't start for another 10 minutes- he said grabbing her had a little too rough for her taste, the look on his face didn't leave room for discussion- stay.

- Hmm, yeah, but I need to get there before all seats are taken, you know how it is with Myoga-sensei, he gets a lot of students! - She said, smiling reassuringly while trying to release herself discreetly, but to no avail, Kohaku's grip only got stronger. She knew there had been a mistake in her lie the moment his eyes narrowed a fraction

- I thought you said your teacher was Totosai, the one who nobody wants to be stuck with- he said, shaking her arm so hard the donnut fell from her hand.

-kohaku, you're hurting me, stop it, I need to get to class!- she said, now a little desperate, seeing as nobody was walking near the donnut stand at that hour, and the attendant had left the minute they had bought theirs

-why should I? You just want to go so you can be with _him_… Don't you? What's so special about him? - The scorn in his face made it difficult for her to concentrate

- _What is he talking about? - _His outburst left her mute; she could only stare in surprise.

_-Answer me__! - _He screamed as he roughly shook her with every word. Then he whispered - Why Rin? Why won't you stay with me? – Although he changed his tones, his grip on her hadn't lessened any

_What does he want me to say__?_ - Kohaku, I don't understand, I am with you…wha-?

-No you're not! All I asked was a day! A single day with you, only you, instead, you've spent all day with him! I can see the way you look at him, with those eyes, like he's so precious to you! What the hell are you playing at? - He started raising his voice to the point he was shouting again at the end of the phrase.

- What? What are you talking about? I've spent all day with you! What the hell do you want from me? I've done all you've aske-

-Shut up! Shut the fuck up! You've played with me all day long, you think you can just come here in your tiny little shorts and just play with everyone's mind? You're a tease Rin! And he's never going to see you! Not the way _I_ see you- he added as an undertone.

-kohaku…I- but she cut herself as the door to the auditorium suddenly burst open and light seeped to the hall. She turned suddenly ashamed of being seen in the position she was, but nobody was at the door, it seemed to have been open by an exceptionally strong gust of wind.

-Save it- he said finally releasing her.

As it turned out, there was a second motive behind Kohaku's good intentions...

* * *

-.-

_**AN:** This chapter is dedicated to everyone who has read and reviewed so far. Your support means a lot!_


	6. Chapter 6: questions unanswered

**Disclaimer: **I don't own inuyasha or any of its characters.

* * *

**Questions Unanswered **

Everything since the day of Kohaku's run-in had left her a little numb. She didn't know how to look at him anymore. Whenever she saw him on the hallways, she made an effort to be civil towards him, but he wanted none of her good hearts.

That night outside of the auditorium was still fresh on her mind; she didn't know what to do with the things he had said. To be honest, she wasn't even sure she had quite understood what he was trying to imply; but it seemed whenever she tried to figure it out, the more questions seemed plague her mind. So she just decided to leave it at that _for the time being…_

It was middle morning and Rin had nothing to do; her next class was not due for another half hour. Usually on these days, that is to say, Wednesday, she would sit on a bench on campus and wait for Sesshoumaru to show up. She decided to do just that, since she had nothing else to do.

She sat alone on the bench for 10 minutes, and decided he was probably not going to come, so she got a book out and decided to get ahead on her readings for the week, just to keep her mind off more… pressing matters.

As she sat on the bench focused on her reading she started to feel Goosebumps down the back of her neck; someone was creeping up on her. She had to swallow a scream down her throat as she realized it was Kikyo.

Rin, what are you doing here, all by yourself? - She said, taking her purse off her shoulder with practiced ease, and sitting down in the same fluid motion.

Hmm, don't you know? Being alone is my new favorite pastime, he he – she inclined her head in defeat.

Why are you not with that demon? - Kikyo asked, her tone dropping a few notes in a somber observation.

_Demon? Does she mean Sesshoumaru? _He… I haven't really seen him since yesterday- she said, casting her eyes downward- He bailed on me – she added sadly.

I wouldn't blame him; I wouldn't want to be with you either if you were still hanging around that boy. She said, not quite looking at her.

What do you mean? What's wrong with Kohaku? – She pulled her hair, a little frustrated over everyone's attitude towards him.

Rin, do you honestly think someone a year older than you wants to help you for a test out of the kindness of their heart? - She scoffed skeptically- He _obviously _wants something in return.

Why does everyone keep telling me that? He's not a bad person! - She said, not quite knowing why she was defending Kohaku.

Kikyo had the grace not to laugh in her face, but she raised a single eyebrow much in the same way Sesshoumaru did when he was silently challenging her to contradict him.

What happened to your arm Rin?- she immediately adverted her eyes towards her left arm, where Kohaku had left scratch marks and bruises two days prior, however, there was nothing in plain sight, she was wearing a long sleeved shirt

_How does she know? - _She made an effort not to let her surprise show, but it was too late, Kikyo had seen her reaction and there was no denying the facts; she had been expecting it.

That's what I thought. You better stay away from him Rin; there are a lot of things just outside of your realm that you cannot grasp. Things you would do well not knowing- her tone was so serious Rin had to consider her words for a while. She had a feeling Kikyo was trying to convey a lot of things in those words.

I just know he's not a bad person, no matter the things he might have done- She said finally.

You trust too easily Rin- she said at last. Then she grabbed her stuff and rose from the bench - if you care so much about your friend, you would do well not to let anyone see it, I'm not the only one who would be able to tell– As she parted, Rin briefly wondered if she was talking about Sesshoumaru.

* * *

He rounded the corner near the library and came to a stop as he spotted her sitting in the bench they usually shared on Wednesdays; she was not by herself - _but that's her choice_ – he told himself as he turned right the other way the moment his eyes connected with Kikyo, Rin sat oblivious by her side.

He had been avoiding her. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep it up much longer; he just couldn't talk to her. He needed to calm down first.

He still felt a little betrayed over the way she had just spent a whole day with the little rat just to seem grateful for his efforts. _As if…_

It wasn't that Rin had actually betrayed him; she was too good for that, in her eyes, she was probably just showing appreciation, being _nice._

But he knew the feeling creeping in his gut the moment he had seen her with Kohaku, though he didn't want to admit it. It was too much for him; he usually felt nothing for no one and it had been a cold slap in the face to realize_ he had been jealous- _he passed his hand though his perfect strands for the umpteenth time that morning.

His bad mood hadn't left him any. If anything, it came back every time he pictured the way the whelp looked at Rin two days before.

His blood boiled every time he remembered how Kohaku had eyed Rin's backside when she wasn't looking, how he leaned on her in the cafeteria, his disgusting hands on her back as he pretended to guide her through the halls like she was some airhead he'd picked up anywhere. In fact, the only reason he had decided not to talk to her that day was because he knew that, given the chance, he would have beaten the human to a pulp. And for some reason he thought Rin wouldn't be pleased about that. He wanted to give her the liberty to do as she pleased - _but she's so naïve_.

_She's so honest and good natured to everyone; surely she thinks he's a fine lad,– _he remembered the look on her face as she had said _"he has no ulterior motives, you're just being paranoid"- but I wasn't being paranoid, was I, Rin?_

He had seen a glimpse of her two days before when she had been hanging around the little rat. He had been so anxious to have her sitting by his side he had lost control of his thinly restrained youki, it escaped him in a burst of power so fierce, the force of it had popped the door open, bringing it off its hinges.

At first, he had been horrorized at his lack of control, but then, he realized he had been acting on instinct as he saw the last part of the exchange between Rin and Kohaku through the small crack between the open doors.

He knew he had felt relieved to see she was ok, but at the same time, he had to wonder just how much of his demon heritage was coming to surface at the light of this new girl in his life. No matter how many times he had tried to find an explanation to the events of that night, he always ended up in a sea of unanswered questions. So in other words, he needed to clear his head.

* * *

_Library's always the place to do just that- _last night, Jaken called him to inquire on some information he needed for a report, so he was going to try to keep his mind on other things.

It only took him half an hour to regret having thought he would be able to have peace hanging by Jaken's side. The guy was clearly too oblivious and couldn't possible get a hint. Or at least, he appeared not to notice.

…then she asked me about my staff, Sesshoumaru-sama, can you believe it? My staff! It has two heads, and grunts instead of talking, but my staff was apparently a lot more interesting than her dragon- he said, waving his hands everywhere in his usual fashion. Sesshoumaru noticed boredly as his fake hair balanced precariously on his balding head.

Jaken…- he said warningly, that cut him off on the spot. He massaged the bridge of his nose, willing his headache to go away.

Jaken rubbed his hands nervously, then cleared his throat and asked him if he wanted coffee. That was his way of apologizing for causing him trouble. He found he didn't mind much about his methods… As long as he shut up, and got him something to calm his migraine.

Lately he found the only times his head was not killing him was when he was around Rin. At first, he had thought of it was highly improbable, but at the moment, it was proving painfully obvious it was not the case.

As Jaken returned with his coffee he bid him a silent farewell and decided to head straight to the auditorium. There was no way to put off their meeting any longer.

* * *

When he first saw her entering the auditorium, he went back to his notebook, taking his bag off her seat without even looking up. Then he felt her standing right In front of him, and her scent assaulted him like a mist of intoxicating air. He felt himself being lifted from his seat by the mere sight of her; he looked at her long white legs, up to the hem of her skirt, the curve of her hips and the small of her waist, to her cleavage, where two of her buttons were casually left undone and then to the red tie hanging between the valley of her breast.

_-Rinnnn- _his mind screamed, he couldn't possibly move, she was too tempting, too innocent. He saw her face, her eyes, so full of innocence begging him to do something about it. He bent his face, looking deep into those eyes, then, he took a step forward and looked down at her mouth; her lips, impossibly red and alluring.

He watched as she whispered something in slow motion, but his ears felt numb, he couldn't hear her. At the look in his face she repeated the action, wetting her lips slowly.

He needed to know what she had said, but as he tried to ask, she put one delicate finger to his mouth, silencing him effectively. Then she laid a hand against his chest and leaned into him, barely missing his lips as she whispered into his sensitive ears- _wake up_-

* * *

She had to stifle a few giggles as she saw him jerk him awake by her soft call. She hadn't meant to startle him so, but he was sweating in his sleep, so she could only imagine he was having a nightmare. She had to think twice about that by the look she was getting from him _guess not…_

She eyed him from his tousled hair to his unfocused eyes, to his strictly set lips. He looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn't get to tell her anything as Totosai was already walking up the steps to the center podium.

* * *

He felt incredibly mortified she had caught him having a rather… unusual dream about her. _I should have known, she's too much of a lady to dress like that-_ he rubbed his face twice before setting to the usual math day.

As he wrote notes on the sheet of paper, he tried not to think of the dream he had had mere moments before. _If she ever knows about it, I will be screwed. _He chanced a side-glance at her and breathed a sigh of relieve as he realized she had no clue of anything. _Better this way, I cannot take a chance with our friendship._

Yes, though he wasn't used to it, he decided Rin's friendship was far too valuable and he would not let anything take that away from them, though he could not deny her scent was in fact very intoxicating. As if on cue, Rin turned her eyes his way, like she had known he was thinking of her. Sesshoumaru's breath momentarily caught in his throat.

Rin smiled widely at him, and she knew whatever misunderstanding they might have had over Kohaku's agreement was long forgotten. He smiled back.

* * *

-.-


	7. Chapter 7: crystal clear

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha or Rin's song.

* * *

**Crystal Clear**

Sesshoumaru and she were back on speaking terms, though, to be fair, he had never really stopped talking to her; he was merely giving her the time to deal with Kohaku on her own. O_r so he said. I never really thought he hated the guy that much._

At the moment, too many things were on her mind and she needed to keep her focus on the upcoming math test; this time, she wouldn't have Kohaku to help her with the subject, and she really was not looking forward to another confrontation between Kikyo and Sesshoumaru, last time that had happened, she nearly fainted from the exhaustion.

Rin was so busy thinking of what to do, she really didn't notice the "slippery" sign on the floor, so she ended in the most embarrassing position on the floor, heads up, and with the worse headache she had felt in a long time.

-ouch! That must have hurt little girl, are you ok? - She sat down and stared directly at a pair of bare feet in front of her. His baggy red pants and tousled long hair gave him the appearance of someone who'd just got out of bed. _Physicist? _

- I'm ok; thanks- then, the guy did a strange gesture, like he was _sniffing her?_ That left her positively puzzled.

- You wouldn't happen to know any bastard by the name of Sesshoumaru, would ya? - She quirked an eyebrow at him, but nodded her head anyways. That precise moment she realized the resemblances between this stranger and her best friend.

The man stared her up and down, mumbling something intelligible under his breath while unconsciously scratching a set of _ears_ just above his head – something wrong?- she asked now looking closely at his moving ears, _surely those cannot be real…_

He never answered, but just when she thought he was going to help her get up, he ruffled her head and left- _gee, you could at least help me pick up my stuff._

* * *

That day, she went to her classes as usual. Totosai apparently had some urgent business down town, so he moved the class to another night session. She did her best not to try to connect that day with the events of the last time she had night class. It was just too much.

She entered her dorm room, intent on getting some of her papers done by the end of the afternoon, but as she was about to get her books out she noticed there was a note over her pillow.

It was handwritten with the exquisite letters of a practiced calligrapher; on the envelope read a single word "Rin".

When she opened it, she realized the whole letter was some Kind of Riddle, a single leaf fell off the neatly folded letter

_Would you dare take the bait?_

_Sesshoumaru… _

She went to find him. Whatever reason he may have had to seek her out had her more than a little curious; she was excited.

She put on her winter boots, grabbed a pink winter coat and headed outside, barely taking a glance at the new girl in the living room. She ran all the way to the gardens, where she figured Sesshoumaru would be. Although there had been no name on the letter, she had a feeling only he knew her good enough to know she loved games.

Everyone in the way looked at her and stuck up their noses, she didn't care; this little adventure had her hanging on every move.

* * *

He watched as she came running into the gardens. He hid behind a tree and watched her reach the middle of an open field. She looked around suspiciously and he knew somehow she felt his presence, even though she could not see him, he made sure of that. He watched curiously as she closed her eyes and began chanting an unknown tune.

_In the mountain.  
In the forest.  
In the wind.  
In a Dream.  
Sesshoumaru-sama__, Where are you?_

He was left speechless, her imagination was truly endless, he unconsciously moved forward and the weight of his body snapped a twig beneath his feet. She opened her eyes and the fire he saw in them almost left him rooted to the spot, however, as she came running his way, he leaped into a nearby tree and hid once again, trying to imagine how she could have found him. Never in his life had someone been able to tell where he was, but this girl, Rin… she had found him just like that. She stood perfectly still for a few minutes, he was caught in her resolution. She knew he was there, but she was waiting for something. _She probably thinks I'll make the same mistake again- _His lips quirked in a smirk- _Not likely to happen twice, little Rin._

In the distance, he smelled rain coming and wondered what she was going to do once it started raining. She took some deep breaths

-I know you're there Sesshoumaru, I don't know how, but I know. You should come out - she said, trying to get him to show himself.

He stood quietly waiting for her next move, the wind tossed her long brown hair everywhere, she looked wild, untamed, captivating.

* * *

She saw a flash of light behind her closed lids, she smiled, and as soon as the thunder struck, she was dashing his way once again and the chase began.

He had to admire her cleverness; she had been waiting for an opportunity to catch him off guard. He decided it was time to make things more interesting. He didn't move.

She felt the sudden rush of adrenaline flow through her veins as she saw him, the rain started pouring heavily from the sky. Rin laughed gloriously, feeling the cold water on her burning cheeks. She was six steps away from him, her breath coming out in raged puffs of air… five… Four... three _gotcha… _two…- Eep! - She let out the most ridiculous exclamation of surprise as he suddenly vanished from her sight. Rin tried to turn mid-run as he had disappeared, but the grass was already wet from the rain, and the water pooled under her feet. She slipped and fell on the grass face up.

* * *

He stopped when he heard her fall, she didn't move, and rain was now falling so heavy his senses were becoming a little numb, and that was a lot to tell. He rushed to her side, leaning over her.

Too late did he realize Rin was actually quite conscious and she was out to get him, he leaped just out of her reach as her hand flew faster than he would have assumed for someone so little. He felt as she brushed the hem of his shirt. He had to give her credit _she's proving to be a lot more fun than I had anticipated. _He smirked down at her; she got up, and ran after him, laughing the whole way.

He was playing with her and he was having fun. While she ran full speed after him, he only retracted backwards from her. She was sweating while he easily dodged her every move. Every time she came close to catching him, he slipped just out of her reach. _God, she was enjoying this. _And he was smirking at her the whole way.

- You think you're so superior don't you? - She yelled at him. He would have thought she was mad, but the childish smile on her face told him otherwise.

- I don't think I'm superior, I _know_ I am- he said dodging her grasp once more.

She was becoming better at predicting his moves _I'll have to change that. _He moved left, grabbed her waist and kicked her legs, making her lose her balance immediately. She laughed loudly once more, but she wasn't going to lose, she brought him down with her.

It all happened so fast she barely had time to react, she felt herself being swept off her feet, so she had done the first thing that came to mind; she held tightly to him and pulled on his trousers, it made him loose his balance just as she was about to fall.

She fell on her back once again; her hair sprawled everywhere, soaking in the water and mud on the grass. She was still laughing with her eyes closed when she landed, she felt Sesshoumaru land over her, but she didn't care, that was the most fun she had had in ages.

She opened her eyes and looked straight into his, _It's like the last time, his eyes look surreal _

- So what now? I've got you- she said pulling on his belt loops to make her point.

- It would seem it's actually the other way around Rin, don't you agree? - He said, lifting an eyebrow meaningfully.

She looked at the way he was leaning over her, their entwined legs and the way their hair mingled on the ground. She had never been this close to him, or any other man for that matter.

Rin blushed hotly, her face contrasting dramatically to the rest of her pale cold face. She lifted an arm between them and tried to push him off her, not really sure if it was what she wanted at all.

- What's wrong Rin? Are you not comfortable? - He asked cockily, enjoying her vain efforts to push him off her.

She sighed frustrated, shaking her head at his audacity – not at all Sesshoumaru-sama; however, I would very much like it if you would be as kind as to get off me- she said smiling playfully at him.

- Very well, there is only one condition though- and he narrowed his eyes dangerously- yield- he said to her ear.

Had he been anyone else, he would have been unable to hold back his laugher at the sight of her face. It was hilarious… however, this is Sesshoumaru we're talking about, and so he remained expressionless.

- What? - She blinked so fast the raindrops gathered in her eyelashes fell down her eyes in an instant.

- I will not repeat myself Rin- he said, flashing her with his sharp teeth.

_- I will not let myself be intimidated by him- _very well then; I'm not in a rush… are you? – He growled deep in his throat, but in the end he got up. She was taken by surprise by his sudden act, but didn't have the chance to ask.

- I see you have met Inuyasha- he said stiffly, while he offered his hand to allow her to stand up.

- Who? – she said honestly puzzled

_- She really has no idea_ that much was obvious by the look on her face, though it was pretty obvious to him she had in fact met his half brother _his putrid scent is still on her hair. _Then, he saw realization hit her as she opened her eyes widely, only to fall back to confusion in less than two seconds

- So that's his name, Who is he?- she asked as they started walking through the gardens side by side, the rain ceased by then

- He's the bastard of my father- he said through gritted teeth. She pretended not to notice as she splashed in the poodles left by the rain

- I take it you guys don't get along too well? What did he do?-to that, he answered just as coldly

- He was born.

* * *

Totosai sighed- _late again… this man's sure easy to miss- _this was the second time that month he had had to cancel one of his classes to go chase a ghost. Some people knew there was something going on with the Naraku guy, but no one had ever been able to catch him red-handed, he obviously had a knack for playing hide and seek.

He wasn't really sure what he had planned, but he had a feeling they were all going to discover sooner or later.

Just as he was about to walk out the warehouse he found a rumpled piece of paper by the door. He lifted it to his eyes, putting on his glasses. Inside the paper, there was an instruction and a chewed piece of gum - _Apparently, he's someone to do the dirty work for him- _he took out a plastic bag and stuck the chewing gum inside. At least now he had a clue.

* * *

Classes that night had been officially canceled as Totosai didn't make it in time to the lesson. Rin sighed in relief and took the little things she had brought along with her. Most of it had been borrowed from Sesshoumaru, since she left her dorm without any of her things earlier that afternoon.

As they exited the auditorium, she heard someone speaking loudly about them. Apparently, they whole auditorium had the wrong idea about her and Sesshoumaru. She tried not to pay too much attention to it, but still found it hard to fight the blush in her cheeks when someone asked if they were a couple and everyone seemingly agreed.

That's the very last comment Sesshoumaru heard before he decided to close the door behind them. He lifted a quizzical eyebrow at her blush.

- I'm kind of hot- she said quickly, and immediately regretted saying something so stupid. It was rather obvious she was not hot, and if she could, she would have kicked herself for such blatant lie.

He lifted his eyebrow further and she couldn't help but laugh at her own stupidity. In truth, Rin was impossibly cold. Her lips were beginning to turn blue from her wet clothes and her hair sticked to her face in the most deranged way. If she didn't change her clothes soon she was going to get a cold… that was for sure.

But she was laughing, that's all that mattered. As long he could, he would make sure Rin was happy. The minutes passed and little by little she became a quiet. They were walking side by side, getting alarmed glances from everyone who crossed them _guess it isn't every day you see a pair of grown-ups soaking wet from playing under the rain- _she giggled some more, until she no longer knew if she was shivering from laugher or the cold.

She started shaking almost uncontrollably, but then she felt something warm around her, the warmth enveloped her like a blanket, and she realized Sesshoumaru was holding her. Still, there was something in his touch, in the way energy seemed to embrace her. There had to be something unnatural about it. Strangely enough, she didn't feel scared. Ironically, this unknown energy source made her feel comforted, protected. It made her feel home.

She soon fell asleep in his arms, and he carried her all the way to her dorm.

By the time she woke up, he had already left. Her new roommate was already gossiping about Sesshoumaru, his eyes, his hair, his voice… she didn't listen though; she had only woken up because she missed his warmth.

That night when she fell asleep there was only one thought in her mind - _out of all the people in the world, who would have thought I would fall asleep in his arms?_

* * *

-.-

A/N: I decided to include rin's song because somehow it fits, however, I did not type all of it; there's a reason though, so bear with me...thank you so much to every one of you guys who have read and reviewed so far, you make my day.


	8. Chapter 8: Remain calm

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha, nor do I take profit from writing this.

* * *

**Remain calm**

A week had passed since their little adventure under the rain. The more he thought about it, the more he convinced himself Rin was entirely something else.

Never in his life had he been actually happy to befriend anyone. Even Jaken seemed to notice he was lately in good spirits… he felt a little sick of himself.

The second round of tests was that week and it seemed Rin wasn't faring too well. She had apparently thought the subject was not so complicated and failed to study everything there was to know. He, on the other hand, had gotten the highest score in the auditorium for the first test, so now he had to fend off the bloodsuckers trying to gain his favor for a study session or some other kind of favors. Needless to say, most of the people who had asked for his assistance were in fact female classmates, and he seriously doubted they could be helped in any way.

Truth to be told, the only person he considered worth helping in the whole auditorium was too stubborn to ask for his help.

Rin was at that moment scratching the back of her hair as she struggled to understand one of the most complicated subjects in the book. She knew Sesshoumaru was watching her intently so she did her best not to let her frustration show, though she was failing miserably- _Get. In. My. Brain!_- She slammed to book repeatedly against her forehead, hoping the contents would somehow seep her consciousness by doing so.

She ignored the quiet chuckles at her left, for she knew without looking it was Sesshoumaru laughing at her antics. In the end, she rested her head over the open pages of the book and sighed softly- _I need to do something about this…there's definitely no way to put it off now_- in took a breath of air and faced him, only to find him smiling at her in that superior way that so obviously said "I knew you would need my help"

"Sesshoumaru…you…are you-? how are you doing?"- She finished lamely-_ It's so hard to ask for his help when he's being like this…- _

"How am I? Are you sure that's the correct question, Rin?"- He said, lifting an elegant eyebrow while he distracted himself opening a book.

"I… n-no…I mean, yes… well, not exactly, you could answer though… I haven't asked you that today, have I? 'Cause if I had then I could definitely change my question… not that it's a terribly interesting question... I mean, I know you're good... I mean well… I mean… you don't seem like there's anyth…"- but she couldn't finish her rant, as she found her lips stuck together by Sesshoumaru's fingers. He had literally clipped her lips. She blinked rapidly wondering why he had felt the need to do that.

"Yes, I will help you study for the upcoming math test. We'll start tomorrow"- he said still holding her lips together.

She tried to talk trough his hand, but no sound came out articulated, instead, it was a series of unintelligible mumbles that made no sense at all.

He didn't bother asking what she had said, and instead replied- "I have some business with Jaken today".

* * *

Rin opened the door the dorms that afternoon and immediately tripped over a mountain of pilled shoes right in front of the living room- "god, this girl is so messy"- she did her best to outskirt the little mountain and walked inside the dorm.

-"Southen? Where are you?"- she called, trying not to trip again on the massive amount of junk all over the living room

- "Over here Rin!"- she said, calling out to her. As she neared the sound of her voice, she realized it came from the other room. Southen had managed to make her bedroom look like a hurricane had attacked everything inside it.

-"Southen, what are you doing?"- she asked balancing her belongings in the little space she had left.

- "Remember what I told you about your friend? Well, I know it is in a book around here somewhere"- she said enthusiastically. Rin slapped her face but decided not to comment on it.

The week before, when Sesshoumaru had brought her to the dorm, she had gotten the strange idea he was some kind of royalty, and she was intent of proving it to Rin, no matter how many times she had insisted that he was no such a thing "just wait until I find it… I know it's around here somewhere" she had said. It had already been a week and she knew there was no such evidence to Sesshoumaru's supposed heritage.

"Ok… I'll leave you to it then…"- she said, then she headed to her own room to take a shower and get ready to start her study session for the day- "I need to at least show him I'm trying my best to understand"- she undressed quickly and got inside the bathroom, preparing a bubble bath to relax her muscles and her mind. She scrubbed her skin thoughtfully and washed her hair carefully. By the time she was over with her bath, the whole bathroom was fogged from the steam of her bubbles, so she reached out blindly to take her towel from the rack. At least that's what she hoped to find.

She tried to control her breathing as she swept her hands over the empty rack. She would have to go out naked-"great. By the time I get my towel I will be frozen to death"

She walked out and grabbed the towel from the floor where it had fallen just outside her door. Suddenly, as strong gust of winter air passed her from the open window. _I don't recall having left that open_- she neared the window and proceeded to close it, locking it for good measure. Rin couldn't shake the feeling she was being watched.

* * *

He checked his watch. She was running late, again… for some reason Rin was always late for any meeting. She was only punctual with classes, but she somehow always got delayed when she had to meet him. He decided to occupy himself reading his annotations, not that he needed them, he pretty much understood everything the moment Totosai explained it, though the old cot had been absent twice in that week already. And he couldn't shake the feeling there was something wrong going on around him.

He heard and smelled her before he even got a glimpse of her. Her cheeks were flushed from the exertion. She had obviously been running to get there. He took a moment to admire her wild beauty. There was a sleep mark on her right cheek and she was wearing a sheep patterned shirt. He raised an eyebrow in an attempt to appear nonchalant but he ended up laughing anyways.

His deep chuckles filled the air and he was sure if the librarian hadn't been ogling over him, she would have already asked them to leave.

"What?"- She said getting even redder in the face, trying desperately to hide her embarrassment.

"Did you take notice of your outfit or you just ran all the way here half asleep?"- he said cocking a single eyebrow

"Ehhh?"- she looked down at her fluffy stuffed boots, to her journal on her left hand to…oh god…no wonder everyone was laughing on the way here… - "I… well…oh shut up! Not everyone can look perfect all the time. I didn't get to sleep last night so I fell asleep on the desk…"

"So, how did you manage to arrive only"- he checked his watch again- "25 minutes late?"

"Sorry!- She said dropping her books on the table with a loud bang- "Actually I woke up from a loud banging on my door, figured it would be southern so I was fully prepared to knock her unconscious but when I got there, there was only a package there…"- she said taking out her books, not meeting his gaze

"A package? From whom?" - He asked suspiciously, Rin was purposely trying to make it look as if it was nothing, but her motions were suddenly stiff.

"I- I… w-well...actually…"- he grabbed her hand when she insisted on entertaining herself so much she didn't notice she was taking her personal articles out along with the books. She looked at him clearly startled, but didn't say anything. Instead she sighed might as well tell him… he's always known when I lie, anyways… -"I don't know who sent it".

"What do you mean you don't know? You have some secret admirer now? "- He asked slowly, and trying to ignore the alien feeling on his gut; he was trying hard not to think he was a bit jealous at the very idea of that.

She adverted her eyes from him- "not exactly…well, I hope not"- she said scratching her already messy hair nervously- "It's nothing, really"

(Bang!) – she jumped on her seat just in time to avoid the heavy math book from squishing her fingers- "Are you going to tell me what happened or are you going to pretend there's nothing wrong?"- he asked carefully studying her.

"Don't worry Sesshoumaru-sama… Rin's got everyth"-

"Yes, I can see that"- he said interrupting her. If her shaking voice was anything to go by, he would say she was just about to break down, but he would not let her try to outsmart him by reassuring him she had everything under control_. She's so stubborn!_-

"I don't think I've ever seen you get so stressed. Over anything. Is there…something wrong?"- she said, softer, trying to calm him down

"You tell me, Rin. Why were you looking over your shoulder when you got here? And don't even think about lying to get out of it… I'll know"- he said, getting so close to her face se had the urge to look elsewhere. He was distracting.

"I'm think I'm being stalked"- she said, so quietly he doubted for a moment she had meant for him to hear it.

He leaned away from her and she straightened, although she still refused to look at him.

"How do you know?"- He asked her, almost kicking himself when his voice came out as a whisper.

"The package... It was a photo album of everything that happened last week. There's no way anyone I know would take such pictures, there are some in which I'm alone, sleeping, or just getting out of the shower"- she said fidgeting and moving restlessly on the chair.

The first thing he felt was a surge of energy, then, faster than he'd felt it in a long time, his head burned with the pain of a fast approaching migraine. He knew the sudden pressure he felt around his eyes was a sign he was losing control of his tightly concealed youki. _Get a hold of yourself!_

"EEEP!"- She suppressed an exclamation as her pen started shaking with some unknown force. She was sure it wasn't an earthquake, and everything around her was silent. But it seemed to move in waves. Just as she was about to tell Sesshoumaru, his hands flew to his face, covering his eyes effectively from her sight. He wasn't sure he would be able to explain it to her- "Se-Sesshoumaru? Are you ok?" – She asked genuinely concerned.

"I'm fine"- he growled, much to his horror. He took a deep breath, but in the end, it was Rin's gentle touch the one thing that got him to calm down.

"Shall we study now?" – She said with her usual radiant smile. He was about to retort something, but decided to let it rest for the time being, due to her concern, she hadn't realized it was him making the entire ruckus around them.

"Very well. So, how far along have you understood until now?"- He asked flipping the pages of his own book as she adjusted her glasses over the bridge of her nose.

"Is it ok to say nothing?"- she said, blushing in embarrassment

"It can't be helped then, we'll have to start from the beginning".

* * *

Six hours, two coffee breaks and half a bag of cinnamon buns later, found Sesshoumaru and Rin reviewing the last part of the first three chapters. They had advances incredibly quickly considering they had started the lesson from scratch.

As he had originally though, Rin was a fast learner; she wouldn't have a scholarship for nothing. In fact, the only reason she hadn't been able to understand a thing in the beginning was because there were missing pages in her books. In one of them, there was a complete chapter missing. He didn't point it out, but he had a few guesses as to why.

He lifted his eyes from the explanation he was giving her, and noticed she was craning her neck and stretching her back. _Maybe we should call it a day. _ She then proceeded to wipe her stylish glasses on the hem of her shirt, her hair falling everywhere. He guessed that's what she looked like when she had to turn in a project. _Absolutely ravishing- _he cleared his suddenly dry throat- we can continue this tomorrow, it's been six hours now.

"Six hours? God! Time flies by rather quickly, doesn't it? Hehe!"- She said, suddenly twitchy.

"Hn…grab your stuff, it's already dinner time"- he said, not waiting for a confirmation, instead getting his things inside his own bag.

She reluctantly got her own books inside her bag deliberately slowly, trying to stall the arrival to the dorms; however, by the look he was giving her, she decided it was unavoidable.

They decided to eat on a small café inside campus. Their orders had arrived within the first 10 minutes, but Rin was taking an awfully long time to finish her food, so an hour later they began to walk to the dorms. On the way there, she tried to convince him to engage in every activity from camping, to jogging to hitting a pub, which was so obviously at odds with her personality he had to question her judgment.

Rin was getting more and more nervous by the minute. Every step they took to the dorms made her incredibly anxious, until they reached her door. _One last try…- _Ne, Sesshoumaru-sama, would you like t-

"Gather everything you need for the night"- he said, effectively cutting her mid-sentence. He was sure she was going to propose some other ridiculous activity, instead of telling him right out what she really wanted.

"What?"- She said, her expression resembled that of a fish, but he was sure she was about to cry from the excitement. He lifted a brow to let her know he wasn't going to repeat himself, so instead she jumped excitedly and soundly kissed his cheek-"thank you so much!"- With that, she stormed inside the dorm, leaving him in the door to watch as she jumped over the coffee table and consequently over the couch on her way to her room. He stuck his hands inside his black slacks as he watched the night around him. Recently the lights on that particular side of campus had been vandalized, and the authorities were still trying to find the culprit, so they hadn't fixed them yet. The darkness was enveloping.

He stood there for no more than five minutes, when Rin dashed outside to join him. Her smile was so wide he wondered if her cheeks hurt from it. She was almost skipping all the way to… _where is it exactly we're going? – _

"Sesshoumaru-sama… where are we going?"- She asked, voicing the question that had suddenly popped on her mind.

"My apartment"- he said simply.

At the moment, she didn't understand just how wrong she had interpreted those words.

* * *

-.-

**_A/N: _**_I'm so sorry for the long delay, It was not at all my intention, but if you haven't already guessed I'm an university student, and life's been a little hectic lately. maybe you're wondering when the real deal is going to come, I think next chapter is the answer, so let me know what you think. :)_


	9. Chapter 9: a Fine boundary

**A/N**: I'm sorry it took me forever to update this story, I'm trying to get back on track with this and my other story as well, hopefully, the long wait will be worth it.

**Disclaimer:** I do not claim ownership of Inuyasha or any of its characters

* * *

**A fine Boundary**

They arrived within minutes the luxurious building just outside campus. She had always wondered where he lived, but she supposed it was just. Not. That- the building was 15 stories high and at the very top, there was a giant pent-house which occupied the whole floor. Looking up, she missed the doorman holding the door open for her to come inside the lobby, if it could even be described as that. The hall was rather fit for a reception, instead of an apartment building. She gasped as she looked at the marble floor, shining in a stark contrast with her dirty converse.

She suddenly felt self conscious as they stood in front of the elevator. For all this luxury, Sesshoumaru sure seemed like a normal guy. His clothes were clean and perfect, but there was not a single designer item there, he always dressed impeccable, but he liked to keep it simple. She briefly wondered what his apartment would be like. Surely, for a place this expensive he had to live with his parents, although he had always seemed very independent to her.

-"so... what floor do you live in, Sesshoumaru-sama?" - She asked eying him out of the corner of her eye.

- "The pent house"- he said ignoring her ridiculously surprised expression as he got inside the elevator.

- "The pent house? You live in a pent house? How come? Hey! Now that I think about it, you've walked me a few times to the dorms, and I've never been to your house; you don't even mention it!"

-"what? You thought just because I didn't speak of it I didn't have a place to sleep on? Maybe you thought I had a special spot in the local park?"

- "I… well..."- She wanted to say no, but her mind was already working on what he had just said. She imagined if he were homeless, he would probably scare every other homeless person from the park.

-"Yes, I would probably be the only one there"- he said very close to her ear. She felt her cheeks flush, although she didn't know if it was from the fact that he knew exactly what she was thinking or if it was from the hot gust of air she felt when he'd said it. She felt the elevator stop, just before the doors opened inside his apartment.

Rin was quite speechless as she looked around the luxurious pent house. If she'd thought she was out of place in the lobby, now she felt like a charity case. The apartment was big enough to fit four or five times the size of the dorms she shared with Southen. Everything, from the almost white wood floors to the light gray walls down to the dark furnishing screamed luxury, it was simple enough that it could be brought out of a decoration magazine and so very minimalistic she had to wonder if he ever truly used the apartment. _Perhaps __he __has __someone __who __cleans __for __him_.

"_Rin?"_

She kept eyeing the apartment wide eyed, trying to take in everything in there, a library, full of books she could only assume he wouldn't finish reading in his lifetime, a leather jacket by the couch, which she'd seen often when he rode in his motorcycle to the university, a mug of coffee by the coffee table and three more books beside it.

His computer, which lay in a desk at the left on the living room and ultimately the single color item in his whole apartment, a red Loveseat right in front of the entertainment system, fully equipped with blue-ray, plasma TV and what she could only assume was a stereo.

"See anything you like?" - He said removing his button-up shirt and hanging it in the rack by the door. She'd been staring around for a while and he'd been undressing… err... getting comfortable in her absence.

She then turned just in time to stare at his unbound hair, his loose undershirt, that he was now taking off as well and the rippling muscles he'd hidden from everyone for the past months. She almost kicked herself when she felt her eyes moving slowly down his abs to his tight black slacks. She wondered if he'd made a mistake on his career choice; with a body like that, he could easily be a model.

"Yes"- she answered finally, she flushed in embarrassment. She didn't know what was it about him that day that had her so damn twitchy, but when he'd asked that, she wasn't sure he'd meant the apartment or himself, and sadly, she wasn't sure which she'd answered either.

He picked up on her embarrassment and didn't bother to hide it; instead he walked closer to her, towering over her small frame. She lowered her eyes quickly, trying to rearrange her bags without bumping into him on the process. She froze when he leant over her, trapping her against the door. Her senses were enveloped with his scent in a way she couldn't help but wonder how she'd failed to notice before, and then she felt the fleeting touch of their hands and let out a shaky breath as she realized he meant to take her bags from her.

"Don't just stand there ogling at me, we have to get you settled"- he said, already walking away from her. She couldn't help watching his naked back as his muscles realigned in his lean frame to carry her bags.

She realized horrified he had been playing her, and she fell right into it- bastard! - She muttered. In response, she received a deep chuckle far down the hall which she promptly followed to its source.

"Is this your room?"- she asked, wondering why they were both standing in the doorway to his room- _unless __of __course __there __are __no __more __rooms __available,__that __would __mean __one __of __us __has __to __sleep __on __the __couch__… _

"No, it's yours"- he said, setting her bags in the floor

"Sesshoumaru, I couldn't possibly, you can have your room, don't worry, I'll be fine in the couch, or the floor, I really don't want to bother you, or your parents, are you sure this was such a good idea, I don't recall you asking permission to bring a girls home, even if we are no more than friends, I would imagine"—

"You really need to stop rambling, Rin"- he said joining her lips together between his two fingers.

"Bwut Ah Reawy dwont wan"—

"You're not taking my room"- he said releasing her lips from his fingers- "as I said; this is your room, for now at least"- Then he opened the door across from them- "see? That's my room, and the door to your right is the bathroom"- he said, leaning casually on the door frame.

"But, your parents... are you sure?"—

"I live here on my own, Rin. I bought the building a year ago"- he said, closing the door to his room before she had a chance to sneak a peek inside.

"You live here on your own"- she repeated to herself. Suddenly, this accommodation seemed a lot more compromising than she'd originally thought, Sesshoumaru didn't like company, and she knew that for a fact. And yet he offered her a place to stay without so much of a second thought. _What__does__that__even__mean?_

"Yes, would you like a cup of coffee?" - He asked, taking her jacket from around her shoulders in the process, she might have felt further embarrassed by the familiarity he was treating her with, but she knew it was all a distraction. Whenever Sesshoumaru's family came up, he changed the subject. She had the subtlety of not pointing it out, at least for the time being, she wanted to enjoy his hospitality.

She walked to the kitchen, no longer surprised at the pristine tidiness of it, the counter was made out of black granite and everything from the oven to the fridge was silver. She sat herself in front of the counter and waited patiently for her coffee, all the while marveling in the graceful moves no one in the kitchen was humanly allowed to do.

" Cinnamon?"- he said, not turning to face her, although thankfully, he had put a shirt on, realizing they were not as acquainted for that yet.

"Yes, please"- she answered quietly- how do you manage to keep this place so clean?

He turned sideways carrying two mugs of coffee, on his left hand, a latte with a stick of cinnamon on the side, on the other, black coffee with a hint of liquor- "I don't move around too much. Not here, anyways"- he placed her coffee in front of her- "cheers"- he said motioning for her to do the same

-"cheers"- she said smiling she seeped at her coffee not losing eye contact with him, It was like he was waiting for some sort of reaction, and then she tasted it, and moaned softly as the strong and sweet aroma of the coffee enveloped her like a soft blanket, filling all her senses, until she closed her eyes from the utter taste of it. She didn't think she'd ever tasted something so good- "hmm… it's really good! …What's your secret?" - She opened her eyes to look at him and for a moment she didn't recognize him. He also didn't speak for a whole 15 seconds.

-"It's imported coffee; I brought it from a trip to angel Falls"- he said tightly.

-"It's really good"- she said again, making those small noises in the back of her throat again-" I never took you to be the kind of guy to enjoy that ty- are you feeling alright?"- she asked worriedly as he covered his eyes much in the same way she'd seen him do in her presence in the library.

-" Yesss"- he cursed himself for the way that almost sounded like a growl- "excuse me"- he left his coffee on the counter and walked to the bathroom, still not taking his hand off his eyes- "make yourself at home".

-"hmm… ok?"- she finished her coffee and started walking around his living room, noticing a little disappointed he didn't have any pictures of himself or anyone for that matter in his apartment. She let her fingers run over the spine of some of his books, philosophy, literature, economics, business, biology, logarithms and a curious copy of Le Petit Prince, she realized upon inspection it had a note in the flyleaf, which was also written in French. She decided to ask him about it later. For the time being, she was far more interested in the piano resting against the wall. It looked neglected and she couldn't resist the urge to play it.

When he entered the living room, she'd just moved over the piano, he didn't make his presence known to her, he wanted to see what she would do next; he didn't have to wait long, for she sat in the piano bench and began playing a soft tune he could not recognize. The sweet sound of the melody filled the entire room and he had to wonder, not for the first time, if the surprises would ever stop to come where it concerned her.

When she finished playing her song, he grabbed his coffee and marched to her side, he half-expected her to startle at his arrival, but it seemed she already knew he was there

- "Are you going to ogle at me all night long, or are you going to join me?" - She asked, looking at him from the corner of her mischievous eyes, she was obviously enjoying throwing his own words back at him.

He smirked at her, swallowing the rest of his coffee in one last gulp, the whiskey burning his throat slightly, as he set it aside and joined her in the bench.

They both knew they had stuff to do for the university, they both knew it was probably not a good idea to stay up late with a test for the next day, and they also didn't care. At that moment, the small tranquility that settled over them was far more important than a test, a stalker or the awkwardness of realizing they were maybe feeling a little bit more comfortable than their friendship allowed them to.

The night carried on like that until they realized, quite by accident, it was already past midnight. They settled to sleep although not reluctantly.

As he lay in his bed that night, the last thing that came to his mind were the soft noises she made while she drank her coffee. He knew his mind was crossing boundaries his body could not, but that night, he dreamt of her.

* * *

there! Let me know what you think! :)


	10. Chapter 10: instincts under control

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Inuyasha and I don't make profit from this.

* * *

**Instincts under control**

Rin woke up to the smell of French toast floating in the air; the weekend was over now and that day, she had to go back to the routine. She rolled over in the satin sheets of Sesshomaru's guest room and couldn't help but wonder if he received visits frequently to have such luscious accommodations. Then she pictured him as she'd always seen him. _Always the loner_ truth to be told, it was a wonder he'd ever allowed her to talk to him, everything about him gave that impression, from the latter jackets and the motorcycle to the cold voice he usually reserved for everyone that… was …not…herself… - she frowned upon that thought, but promptly forgot everything about it as her stomach began to rumble in anticipation to the wonderful aromas coming from the kitchen. _This man is full of surprises- _was all she could think as she proceeded to brush her teeth before stepping out of her(provisional) room.

Her bare feet thumbed softly against the wooden floor as she made her way to the kitchen. She stuck her head inside it in time to watch as Sesshoumaru flipped the French toast in the air, gracefully catching it in one fluent move. If she didn't know better, she would have thought he was showing off. But there was no way his concentration could be broken by her silent steps.

"Good morning Sesshoumaru-sama!"- She said, crossing the distance between them in two small strides and joining him in the kitchen- "do you need any help?"- she asked taking in everything he'd already done while she was sleeping

He seemed to consider it for a minute, then answered- "you may take care of the juice if you wish. The oranges are right there"- he said gesturing with his head towards a small pile of oranges resting in the counter. They looked fresh enough to be recently bought.

"My pleasure!"- She said, skipping to the other side of the kitchen, while she tried not to focus on the fact that he was shirtless, _again._ she took the oranges and began rummaging for a knife, when she found the right drawer, she realized her best friend had perhaps lived up to his reputation for many different reasons, and not all of them were out of his control.

"Something the matter Rin? You're not afraid you're going to get cut, are you?"- He asked trying to contain his teasing at the surprise playing in her face. It only lasted a minute though, she then scoffed, picking the most appropriate knife as she closed the drawer

"Please! I'm an architect, if there's one thing I know how to do, that's cutting stuff"- she said waving the not-too-small knife in his face.

He smirked at her attitude _ever so defiant, Rin_ – "very well, cut away then, I'm almost done here"- he said putting the rest of the milk and eggs away from the stove.

She put her hair in a high ponytail, much in the same way he'd done with his hair and then cut though the oranges, proceeding then to squish them for the morning juice, although, if she was honest with herself, she would admit it was kind of hard, since they were so big.

"You ok there?" – he said, nearing her side

"Yes! I can do it, just let me"- she said as she struggled to squish the juice out of the third orange.

"Are you sure?"- a smirk started playing in his face

"Yes I'm sure…just"- she pressed her hands tighter around the orange- "just wait…"-

"You're so stubborn"- he said, taking the next one into one of his large hands and squishing it dry in less than two seconds.

"And you're such a show off"- she said trying to find something to shove in his face.

"I get that a lot, little Rin"-

"Yeah, well….you're not that big yourself!"- She said stubbornly, even though they both knew it was a lie. Then his tone turned challenging

"I'm not?"- He raised an eyebrow daring her to continue, which she did promptly.

"Err… no…"- she was getting Goosebumps as he leaned closer to her, trying to impose his height over hers - "no you're not. You just like to terrorize small children"- she said trying hard not to laugh at their silly banter

"So, how am I terrorizing you?"

"You're being awfully considerate of me even though I'm basically invading your house. It gets me really nervous"- She said making a show of clapping her cheeks in mock fear.

"I am? Maybe I should start acting more like the monster everyone thinks I am…would it make you feel better If I went back to snaking children for breakfast?"- he asked, sounding genuinely worried for her wellbeing

"Hmm… no, that's not quite it"

"Well then I could take the sheets from your bed and make you sleep on the floor"

"Oh! Mean! That's better... yeah…"- she punched his shoulder jokingly and went to sit on the stool.

They ate quietly trying everything from jam to cheese on their French toast. Rin decided Sesshoumaru was rather good on the kitchen and was curious to see what else he could do apart from a good coffee and breakfast. They finished their food and went their separate ways to get ready for the day.

* * *

"So, at what time do we leave?"- she said, brushing her hair on her way out of her room, as she pulled her purse across her torso and grabbed her jacket from the rack.

"Right now, take your helmet"- he said pointing the closet on the right side of the door she hadn't noticed until then.

"Helmet? You mean…we're riding your motorcycle?"- she asked trying not to sound too nervous

"Unless you can ride your own, of course"- he said, swinging his own leather jacket over his shoulder.

"That's ok, I'll do my best not to fall off"- she grabbed a white helmet with two magenta stripes on the sides and exited the door he held open for her- "how come you have so many stuff for guest? I thought you were always alone?"

"I am. Who said I've always had those?"-

"You mean-?"

"Don't just stand there, we're going to be late"

The ride was as nerve-wracking as she'd anticipated, perhaps, it was even worse. She thought she was going to fall every single time he came around a corner and she always thought they would crash against a car, only to be avoided at the last possible minute. Needless to say, she clung to him for dear life and tried with all her might not to scream her lungs out in the attempt to ride the bike. He seemed to be having his fun though. Few times he'd seemed so wild and _sexy _as he did at that precise moment, but as she looked at his long hair and clothes floating around her with the wind, she decided he also looked quite at home, the motorcycle seemed to be an extension of his body which he commanded to his whim.

Rin pressed closer to him as they neared another corner, for the first time realizing there was a very distinct comforting scent coming from him, she took a deep breath and rested her right cheek against his leather covered back.

-"hey, Sesshoumaru?"- She said quietly

- "yes?" - He rounded the corner and entered the gates of the university

- "You seem happier today"-

-"…"

* * *

It was becoming nearly impossible for him to ignore her while they lived under the same roof. He'd been foolish enough to tell her she should stay with him until they figured out who was staking her. Unfortunately, that meant he was becoming her own personal brand of stalker in the process. It was not like he spied on her, and he certainly would never abuse her trust, but sometimes he found himself staring as she stretched in his living room in the mornings, or listening next to her door when she would sing inside the shower, or seeking her proximity when they played the piano together. It had only been three days since their new arrangement and it was slowly but surely becoming their little thing, like a secret no one else was allowed in.

He groaned at his thoughts- _Why had I never thought of her like that before_? – the images came back to his head- _probably because before she wasn't walking around in her short pajamas in your apartment_- But that wasn't entirely truth either. Rin had always felt… different to him, whether he'd felt attracted to her before or not, he didn't know. But it wasn't recent.

He slapped his face and rubbed his hands over his eyes, then slowly up his forehead. He had to do something, and he had to do it fast. He checked his watch _12:30 time to eat_ he ignored the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach he knew had nothing to do with hunger- he knew this building anticipation came from the thought of seeing her again.

* * *

- "Rin?... Rin? Hello? Earth to Rin?" - She snapped into attention as a hand waved in front of her a pale, delicate hand _-_ are you alright?

- "Kikyo! Yes! Yeah, totally, what, what are you doing here?"- She asked her friend, although she didn't mention how pale Kikyo looked these days, she'd heard she'd been feeling ill lately.

-"I went to the dorms yesterday and Southen told me you had packed your stuff and left, you tell me, what's going on?"- She asked with only a hint of concern

- "It's nothing really, I just…I needed to get away for a while and Sesshoumaru offered to take me in, so I grabbed some stuff and I'm crashing his place for a few days. It's not that big of a deal"- she said getting her books inside her bag to avoid looking at Kikyo.

-"you're living with that _demon_?"- She sounded positively disgusted and alarmed if that was possible.

- "don't call him that!"- She answered a little more forceful than she originally intended, then she cleared her throat- "Yes I'm living with him, but it's only for a few days, I didn't leave for good, you know?…It's only temporary"- she said, hating how defensive she still sounded while saying that. She didn't need to justify to anyone, but she felt like she needed to justify to Kikyo, she was, after all, her friend. She plastered a smile on her face like nothing happened-"well, is there any particular reason you were looking for me?"

-"yes, but first, listen to me Rin, and listen very carefully; that…_friend _of yours is a lot more dangerous than you know, he…"- she stopped abruptly and looked over her shoulder- "just be careful, I'll call you later"- she finished and left just as quickly.

Rin stared at her back with a confused frown upon her forehead. That was the second time Kikyo warned her of Sesshoumaru and she knew her friend had been about to reveal something to her. She began to ponder on the possibilities, but not for long, as she felt a soft gust of wind beside her and she realized Sesshoumaru had just arrived then.

-"are you ready to eat?"- He asked sitting in front of her quietly as she finished packing her colored pencils inside her purse

- "just about, just let me get my…"- she moved her stuff around her purse once- "my…" -twice-"my..My wallet, where the hell is my wallet?"- she asked aloud now tossing everything around before turning the purse inside-out throwing its contents over the table they were currently occupying.

Sesshoumaru watched patiently as she fumbled uselessly between her colored pencils, a handful of coins ('cause you never really now when you're gonna need those) a set of ribbons for her hair, glue and many different cutting instruments plus a pocket-sized notepad- "I believe it is safe to assume you either left it in my apartment this morning or you lost it along the way"- he said taking her hand to make her stop.

She hung her head defeated-"yeah, I guess you're right. God, I'm such an idiot!"- She started tossing the spayed contents into her purse once more- "I guess I'll just keep you company today"-she said at last. She didn't quite care just how pathetic she sounded.

- "Don't be ridiculous"- he said coldly and she got the impression he sounded somewhat offended.

-"I'm sorry, but If I don't have my wallet I can't buy the food; I think I'll just settle for an apple, I think I left on in the dorms the-…"- he put the tip of his long finger right under her chin and lifted her face to look at him in the eyes.

- "lunch's on me. Come on, if we hurry, we can make it back in time for the next period"- then he grabbed her wrist and dragged her to a set of lockers where he'd left the helmets early in the morning.

- "we're leaving campus?"- She asked confused as she nearly ran to keep up with his long hurried steps.

-"Something like that"- he smiled lopsidedly and lifted her from the ground right over the backseat of the motorcycle. In one fluid movement he put on his own helmet, got on the bike and turned it on- hold on- he said, although he knew she didn't need to be told. He just enjoyed getting her worked up.

She could have sworn she could hear the smile on his face.

* * *

- "Well this looks rather fancy" - she took in the low furniture, the vibrant colors and the exotic scents of the place. Beach inspired, she assumed.

- "Yes. The food is decent enough… shall we?" - He made a small reverence and she took it as a sign to pick the place she wanted to sit in.

- "how do you know this place?"- She asked curiously, not believing she had ever actually seen the place.

- "I…"-_own it_- "I used to live nearby"- he said instead. It was enough she knew about the condo, no need to put more distance between them.

She seemed to buy it, and soon after they were ordering their food and eating merrily. They'd settled on seafood, shrimp was Rin's favorite, apparently. Lunch was actually pretty good by both their standards and by the time they finished they were the only customers left in the restaurant

"Well, I think we're late already"- he checked his watch to confirm it- "What do you say? Are you up to something else?"- he asked taking out his wallet and putting the money over the table

"Something else? You mean ditching classes for the rest of the day?"- she opened her eyes wide in disbelieve, but returned to normal at the flat expression on his face which told her he was quite serious. Her face slowly morphed into one of pure mischief- "what did you have in mind?"- she took her helmet from his hands before he could even answer

He smirked- "you'll see"

"Hmm, a surprise, then?"- She nudged him in the ribs and got on the motorcycle putting the helmet on the process, it was easier each time- "are you coming or what?"

"Grrr"-

* * *

Two hours later they laid side to side in the sand, she had taken off her black converse and her skinny jeans had been rolled up her legs. The waves caressed her feet every few seconds and wet her toes delicately.

He had decided to leave his boots on, instead deciding to take off his jacket to lay on his white t-shirt. She loved how careless he was of his clothing. It suited him.

She stretched her legs further and felt as the water slipped higher up her legs. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath; the wind was becoming colder, tossing her hair around her

-"This is nice"- she muttered, then she turned on her side to face him

-"Indeed"- he shifted his weight to rest his head over his arms, but didn't look at her, it wasn't necessary, she knew she had his complete attention, but she'd learned Sesshoumaru saw what he wanted to see. His eyes were always looking far beyond her comprehension. It was fine by her.

She shivered as another gust of wind passed over her, giving her Goosebumps. She moved closer to him, cautiously in case he decided not to let her in, but smiled when he unfolded his arms wordlessly and laid it next to him to offer her head support

-"Hmm"- she laid quietly over his extended arm and took a deep breath, breathing in his scent. She wasn't shy about it, they were close friends and she was allowed to be appreciative of him –"you smell nice, I'd never really noticed".

He chuckled under his breath making her head slip closer to him- "likewise"- he leaned closer still and pressed his lips to the top of her head. She laughed softly

"You know what I just noticed?"- she cleared her throat

"Hmm?"

"This is just like a date, you know?"

He chuckled some more- "so, how's it going so far?"- He looked her in the eyes, which was somehow intimidating because of their close proximity

"Oh it's been lovely"- she nodded enthusiastically- "The seafood, watching the sunset, you're quite the romantic, I must say"- she laughed at his raised eyebrow- "not, but seriously…It's been lovely, thank you… for everything"- she said now playing with the bracelets on her wrists.

In the distance the ambulances and the sounds of the city started to escalate as the night fell over them. The sky slowly but surely tinted red, orange and purple before it was consumed by the dark star filled sky. They had been there 4 hours and they had fallen asleep along the way, although it was hard to say when.

She opened her eyes when she felt him shift under her

-"Rin, my arm fell asleep, I can't feel it"-he said poking her nose softly

- "Hmmok…"- she shivered against him, her legs were still half submerged in the water- she sat up in time to watch as the water went up and took something from the shore- she looked on trying to figure out what it was, and she narrowed her eyes trying to focus –"my shoes!"- She bolted up and ran after them, until the water reached her knees, but the shoes kept getting away the minute she closed in on them- god! Don't, don't! Don't! Aha! Got them! Eep!- she almost fell in the water- nope.. I don't have them… shit! They're getting away again!- he watched amused as she ran deeper into the sea before deciding to help. He took off his boots and his t-shirt before he ran in her general direction and dove in the water, swimming to the shoes in two fluent movements.

- "Well… thank you very much"- she said, taking the shoes from him- "at least they didn't get wet, I'm sorry you had to…damn!"—The waves broke at that moment at the back of her knees, nearly making her fall again- "I think we should go"- she said instead

If his quiet chuckles were anything to go by, he was enjoying her attempts to keep walking. Then they both walked out of the water, Rin held her shoes high above her head, and he dipped water from head to toe.

She bent to grab her socks which she'd left forgotten beside his jacket

-"Rin, would you hand over my shirt?"- He asked unbuttoning his pants while she turned away

-"sure, here you-heeey…w-what-what are you doing?" - She covered her eyes with his shirt

- "relax, I have to dry my pants before I get on the motorcycle"- she heard the wet, sliding noises as he rolled his pants down his legs and then as he shook them twice, followed by the soft drip-drop of water drops falling on the sand- "no need to be so shy"- he said, close to her ear taking the shirt from her and giving her a good glimpse of his body- "what?"

- "y-you-your hair, Ah-I- I never realized it was so long"- she said, fighting the blush that now covered her entire face, she settled on turning again to give him a little privacy, although she didn't really need to look to see his pale slippery skin in his black boxers or his silver hair shining under the moonlight- the image of that would never leave her mind.

The ride back to the apartment was different for a number of reasons; it was a lot more quiet, it was colder (their wet clothes did nothing to help that fact), and it was also heavy with the realization that they were no longer just enjoying the ride, they were heading home.

* * *

-.-

**A/N:** I'm so incredibly happy for all the wonderful feedback I recieved from this story for the last chapter I made an effort to update sooner this time. I really hope it was up to your standards, but anyways, let me know what you think ;)


	11. Chapter 11: atonement

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha nor any of its characters.

* * *

**Atonement**

Rin half fell asleep on the ride back, she had barely enough strength not to fall off the motorcycle, and halfway, he stopped to seat her in front of him instead. He pressed the gas harder and they got to the apartment within the hour.

The doorman in the lobby wasn't quick enough to cover the shock from his face, but he was smart enough to keep his mouth shut as Sesshoumaru walked in the building still wet with a sleeping Rin between his arms, his leather jacket on his left hand and a girl's purse on his shoulder.

He raised an eyebrow and waited for the man to get over his shock and open the door for him. He almost sighed when it proved to be too much since and the man practically stumbled on his own feet in the process. Sesshoumaru made a note to have him fired the next day, if he remembered of course. He rearranged Rin over his shoulder and walked to the elevator, daring the employees to say anything.

The beep on the elevator came in 5 seconds and he pushed himself inside, tossing his jacket on the floor along with Rin's purse.

She shivered not for the first time, and made a note to get her a new jacket. Winter was coming and she needed something thicker to ride on.

"Hmm…Sesshoumaru? Where are we?"- she mumbled

"We're in the apartment"- he said patiently not bothering to put her down now that they'd made all the way like that.

"The apartment?" – she raised her head from his shoulder to look around- "hmmmok…"- then she laid down again- "you treat me like a baby"- she mumble into his shirt

"hardly; you're a little too big and skinny for that"

She wined tiredly- "yes you do…I can walk y'know?"

"He chuckled quietly" – she did sound like a little girl at that moment- "yes I'm sure"

* * *

Two weeks had passed when it finally happened. She received a phone call she had been dreading for the longest time now.

At the time, she had been making eggs in the kitchen for Sesshoumaru and herself; they had established cooking duties fell on the one that was less occupied, as it was, she had just turned in a new project and he was beginning one, so naturally, she offered.

Kikyo pursed her lips tightly against the phone as she spoke; she could tell for the way her tone sounded clipped and forced as she spoke to Rin over the line. She had given the apartment's number to her friend to contact her in case she couldn't reach her at her cell phone. All in all, Rin couldn't be happier to hear from her friend, she knew Kikyo was very proud, and it must have taken a lot of her to make that phone call after all that had transpired between them the last time they had spoken at the university.

Kikyo was going to buy a dress to some important dinner she was having with distant relatives and needed Rin's advice to buy it, so they arranged to go out two days from that moment, which was on Saturday. Even though Kikyo didn't like Sesshoumaru for some reason, she couldn't exactly blame her since Sesshoumaru himself didn't like her either. At some point, she knew she would have to make them come to terms with each other, but the memory of their every encounter always left her feeling lightheaded. For the moment, that was not an option. She did miss Kikyo however, so they agreed to spend the whole day together and talk like the good friends they were. This time, she noticed, Kikyo didn't mention Sesshoumaru. Rin silently thanked her tact and trusted her to be smart enough not to bring it up at their small reunion.

She hung up the receiver and realized they hadn't really set any specific time to meet, and almost let out a laugh when the phone started to ring shortly after.

She wiped her hands on her white apron and walked to the receiver on the right side of the couch. Rin went to pick up the wireless phone and walked back to the kitchen, the eggs were already on the stove and it wouldn't do to burn them. She pressed the talk button and stuck the phone between her shoulder and chin

"I knew we were missing something important!"- She said as soon as she picked up the phone. When no one answered, she decided to try again, this time a little more formally, since it was after all Sesshoumaru's phone she was answering – "Hello?"- she flipped the eggs twice on the frying pan

"_I knew you couldn't resist going with _him."

Rin frowned at the receiver, not liking the raspy tone that answered her inquiry with such an accusation- "Who is this?"- she said putting the eggs on the side

"_You don't need to know who I am, most importantly, you need to know what I want"_

"Listen sir, I think you've got the wrong number, so I'm gonna hang up now"- she said, already preparing to press the off button.

"_I don't think I'm wrong, Rin"_

She was playing with the straps of her apron and suddenly went rigid- I don't know who she is, but I can assure you she doesn't live here- she said as calm as she could

"_You're not that good at lying, Rin, you're too innocent. I've always wondered if that's what _he_ likes about you"_

"I already told you, I don't know who that…"-

"_Cute outfit, by the way… I bet he loves the way his colors look on his new pet"_

"I…"-the words died on her lips; she couldn't move

"_I'll leave you now, wouldn't want to upset"_- she felt the forceful pull of the phone before she could register what exactly was going on; she turned in time to watch Sesshoumaru turn off the already black eggs and take the plug from the phone, right before he opened the doors to the balcony and let it crash to the ground. She could the noises of cars hitting the brakes fast enough to leave marks on the pavement, a few curses and the distinct smell of polluted air right before he closed the doors again to go back to the kitchen.

Rin's fear spiked just as fast as the room fell silent again _How did he know?- _

"Who was that?"- He sounded angry.

"I…" - she looked directly past him and prayed her voice didn't give her away- "wrong number"- she blinked and just like that turned back to the counter to throw away the burnt eggs and start over.

She felt the hairs at her nape standing on end as he stood rooted at her back. She felt the pressure of his stare and finally turned back to him, putting on her best act as she pretended she didn't notice the way he was staring at her.

"You didn't have to come you know, I said I would take care of breakfast and I will"- she adjusted the apron around back and smiled widely at him- go back to your project, I can handle it

"Yes, I can see that"- he gave a pointed look at the burnt eggs in the trash.

"I'm sorry I burnt your eggs, you can have mine if you want"

"I don't want your eggs Rin"- he said a little more harshly than he intended

She winced inwardly- "well…then… what would you like? Maybe a sandwich? Cereal? Oatmeal? French toast? Regular toast? M-maybe p- pan-pancakes?"- She stuttered quietly as she tried to shrink away from him. During her ramble, he cornered her against the counter. This time, she felt nervous for reasons entirely different from the days before. She knew the look in those eyes; it was a look he usually reserved for other people. She had seen him use that look on the poor Jaken, and for the first time, she had to give the small man credit for his unmovable loyalty despite the way Sesshoumaru played with his nerves, much in the same way he was doing with her right then.

"I want you to tell me the truth Rin"- he whispered against her ear. She imagined if he was a gangster, he would be at the top of the food chain, such intimidating tactics would certainly come in handily

She shifted her weight twice, trying to no avail to make some space to breathe something other than him-"ah-I- I told you, It… it was a wrong number"- she swallowed quietly, knowing how pathetic that had sounded, even to her own ears

"Why do you insist on this? What can you possibly get from lying to me?"- He was shaking her now, and she started to shiver as the first tremors rose to her voice.

"I can't let you get involved in…"- her voice broke down and she choked on a sob – "I can't, please… don't"- the rest of her answer was muffled into his shirt as he closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her.

"Let me protect you"- he spoke after a small pause-"you are…"

"He knows! Sesshoumaru, he knows"- she sobbed and trembled in his arms – "oh god! He knows, he knows who you are, he…. He can see… he… I don't know how but, he c- he can see"-

"Shhh… He won't come near you"- he kissed the top of her head- "I will protect you".

He caressed her hair quietly, letting her cry on his shirt and holding her as though he thought at any moment she was going to turn to water and slip through his fingers.

By then, she'd almost forgotten everything about the incident that had brought her to his apartment, but to have his reassurance made her feel warm in ways she had only felt when she was little in her mother's arms.

Breakfast that morning was left forgotten once they realized the whole incident had taken away the best of their appetite, so instead they went back to the study were Sesshoumaru sat in the couch, working on his projects with Rin's head rested on his lap until his slow stroking motions lulled her to sleep.

* * *

Neither of them spoke more of the incident that day, but when she woke up the next day, she realized the once open windows in his pent- house were now covered by blinds, the kind that let light seep through but didn't let people look inside it. She chose not to comment on it, instead focusing on the new cozier quality the apartment had gained from such arrangements.

She walked to the kitchen where she found a slip of paper over a perfectly toasted sandwich

"_The juice is in the refrigerator, help yourself and get ready, I will come for you at 9:30 am_

_Your one and only friend, Sesshoumaru"_

-"Pompous bastard…"- she muttered as she went to pick the orange juice from the fridge, taking in the way the fridge suddenly appeared to be full with all kinds of food; somehow she imagined that was a cautionary measure to prevent her from going out for groceries on her own. She marveled at the attention he gave her, and made a note to show how grateful she was. She smiled fondly at the piece of paper, thinking of how very domestic it seemed and how easily they had adjusted to one another.

She finished her breakfast quietly and cleaned the things she had used before going to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

At exactly 9:30 she heard the elevator doors opening, indicating Sesshoumaru's arrival. She fumbled with her jacket and grabbed the nearest scarf from her dresser, a ripped orange wool scarf her mother had woven for her; she turned as she heard the clear knocking on the door

"Come in"- she said, trying to get her right arm into the sleeve once more before she realized she had put it on backwards- "Sorry"- she smiled apologetically when she saw he stood straight in her doorway waiting patiently for her- "fucking…jacket"

"Language, Rin" – he moved from his post at the door and walked calmly, before taking the jacket from her and bringing to her attention a shopping bag he had been holding behind his back up until then-

"Is it for me?"- Her eyes lighted like a small child on Christmas Eve. She took the bag from him, and held it in her hands, trying to assess its weight – "what is it?"

"Why don't you open it and find out?"- he retorted quietly, amused at her utter excitement

In response, she proceeded to carefully remove the tape holding the ends of the bag together and gasped quietly as she ran her hands through the soft smooth texture of leather, one so soft, she doubted for a moment it was in fact leather. She picked out the jacket lying inside the bag, letting it drop to the floor as her hands ran once more through the front of the Jacket, to the wide neckline, to the fancy zipper and the small silver buttons in the cuffs of the sleeves.

He took the jacket from her and held it at her back, while she put her arms trough the slim- fitted sleeves, then he bent to retrieve the bag at her feet and took out a bright purple scarf from it, swiftly wrapping it around her neck, before she could do anything about it. She looked at herself in the mirror and then to his satisfied smirk as he puffed the scarf twice for her, while still standing behind her.

"There's no way I can convince you this is too much, right?"

"No"- he deadpanned

"I thought as much"- she smiled through the mirror- "It's lovely"- she turned to face him and she hugged him as tight as she could without bruising her arms- "thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"- she let go of him and then held his hand as she reminded him they would be late if they didn't leave right then

She tossed him his helmet and then his Jacket, which she noted matched her own. She rasped something that sounded like "let's go" and blushed even harder when she felt his chest rumbling at her back with the sure signs of barely contained laughter.

* * *

Rin decided it was probably a good idea to go to the dorms to take a few of her belongings, it had already been established she would move in with Sesshoumaru until they figured who was stalking her, and what did they want from her, for that matter.

She fumbled in the doorstep to find her keys before the door opened in front of her, and she was knocked to the ground by a very anxious-looking Southen.

"Oh god! Thank god you're all right! I knew you had to be!" – she didn't give Rin a chance to talk, instead, she found herself pressed into a very tight embrace before she was picked from the ground and carried somewhat-roughly to the couch in their small living room. She looked around as if she was looking at the dorm for the first time; she found it messy, overly colorful and a little cluttered. She waved it off realizing it was as it always had been, she was just comparing it to Sesshoumaru's apartment.

"Southen…what. What happened? What do you mean I'm all right?"- she asked, finding no sense in her roommate's earlier statement

"I… oh god, this is embarrassing, well…I didn't mean to, but you know, they just kept coming, so I could ignore them for so long…I didn't mean to.. really…"- she stopped her rambling when she felt Rin's comforting hand in her arm

"Southen… calm down, I don't understand what you're trying to say"- she smiled reassuringly, signaling the other to start over.

"Well, you do remember that night you went away with him? I started receiving some phone calls; when I picked up the phone, all I would hear was static on the other end, like there was some sort of bad connection"- her eyes flashed to the phone briefly before continuing- "I thought it was just the phone company pulling one of their numbers on us because we hadn't paid the bills since we got here, so I didn't think much of it, It was always at the same time, around 6:30 when the phone would ring, sometimes I just ignored it, as I knew it would be the same"- she looked completely flustered by then so Rin rubbed her hand through her arms, urging her to continue.

"So, a few days after you left one of your friends came to visit, she's the beautiful one with the cold stare, I felt a little intimidated in her presence until she came under the light of the doorstep and I noticed just how hollow her cheekbones looked, honestly thought the girl needed some urgent spa retreat, but in the end I let her through"

"Yes I think she told me something about it"

"Well, anyways, I figured you would not appreciate if I mistreated one of your friends (and now that I think about it, I've only seen you with those two) so I offered her some snack to wait for you to get back to the dorms. She refused it all I offered but in the end, I convinced her to try some green tea, which I think she begrudgingly accepted"

"Wait, what do you mean?"- she asked a little perplexed

"Well, she isn't exactly the most charismatic chick of the lot, she didn't even want to try my cookies, although I think by now she must be regre…"-

"No… I mean, why were you expecting me to go back to the dorms that day? I had been gone for three days"

"Well, yes… but you see…that was the day that everything began to change…"- she bit her lip nervously- "that morning when I opened the door I found a package addressed to you- there was no name of the sender, but this person obviously knows you, since it had a picture of you attached to it"- she ducked her gaze- "and a poem on the backside; so I figured this person knew you would come in that day and I left it in your room. Then, by noon a bouquet of flowers arrived for you; red roses, if I remember correctly, again, no sender, merely a note of some sort, like a telegram…I kind of read it by accident, don't worry though, I couldn't make sense of what it said"- she shifted uncomfortably in the couch and this time she grabbed Rin's hands- "you have to know though, I didn't know anything… and I didn't anything of it, until she pointed it out.. Sort of…"

"Who pointed it out? What do you mean?"

"Your friend, the pale one…"

"Kikyo?"- she quirked her eyebrow confused

"Yes! That one… She was taking her tea when the phone rang. I didn't want to seem rude in front of a guest, so I responded, fully knowing no one would answer, but you see, as soon as I hung up, her attention was fully focused on me"- she let go of Rin's hands to rake one of them through her already messy hair- "she asked me all sorts of questions, about who had called, if I had seen anything abnormal up until then, how long had it been happening…I have to tell you I felt a little overwhelmed, and I didn't understand her sudden interest in all of that, but I answered anyways".

"When I told her everything I knew, she asked were where you at the moment, then she corrected herself and instead asked how long had you been gone. I was totally baffled by how she could possibly know anything about that but then I reasoned you guys are friends, so probably she just heard it from someone else, so then I told her you had left with your boyfriend"- she rasped at Rin's raised eyebrow- "well, with your _other_ friend and she seemed to think it over for a moment, before setting her cup down and announcing she would be leaving then. I don't really know what happened to her after, as I haven't seen her since, but I think she relaxed a little after that".

"And that's it? She didn't say anything else?"

"Not really… she was gone before I could even sway her into the cookies, but anyways, her loss"- she said, waving her hand dismissively in front of her

"Well.. Is there anything else? Has anything happened since then?"

"Well… yes… and no…"- she looked around trying to find a distraction from her eyes as she struggled to get the words out

"What is it Southen?"- she asked, getting a little agitated at her roommate's evasive answer

"Well, right after Kikyo left, a new package arrived, I looked it over, and held it in my arms, still looking out for anyone who might have left it there, but there was no one to be seen, they seemed to just vanish, much in the same way it had happened before"- she settled to look at her hands, removing the imaginary dust from under her nails- "I turned the package twice in my hand, but it was so light, I thought the box might have been empty, however, as I turned it again, a note slipped out. There was nothing written on it, and I found it so curious and unnerving, I started to open the box before I even realized what I was doing".

"There was a picture inside Rin… it was a picture of you and your bo… and your friend, Sesshoumaru; It was ripped right in the middle, in a way that didn't look accidental. I also found this"- she held a small square rock in her palm. Rin guessed it had been attached to something else before, as it was missing a part.

"What is it?"- she asked now more than a little curious, as the object Southen held in her hand didn't look familiar

"I don't know. I tried to do some research, but apparently the only famous rock in my books is the Shikon no tama; I'm guessing this is not it, as it was destroyed hundreds of years ago by some unknown force".

She stared at the little rock raking her mind for something she could be missing, but came up empty- "hey Southen, maybe I could show it to my sister, she's"- a knock on the door brought her to a stop. She knew that knock all too well. Only Sesshoumaru could knock so firm and low at the same time. _kind of like his voice_ she mused as she got to the door.

"You're late"- he stated shortly, before he turned around and started walking right the opposite way.

"I guess that's my cue"- she turned to wave Southen goodbye, but found her standing merely six feet away from her, smiling broadly like a fool- "don't"– she interjected before southern started spilling nonsense about her relationship with Sesshoumaru.

"What? I wasn't going to say anything… just…you know, friends don't wear matching jackets"- she rolled her eyes and earned a hearty laugh from her roommate- "and by the way, how did he know…"-

"Goodbye Southen"- Rin held the door open and exited before she could get a chance to respond. Lately people seemed to get the wrong idea about her and Sesshoumaru; and while she could admit her friend to be quite handsome, intelligent and even sweet at times, she didn't feel comfortable thinking of what would happen to their carefully balanced relationship if he ever heard the rumors on campus.

She stopped in front of him taking the helmet from his hands and pausing for a second to asses him quickly. At his questioning eyes, she responded with a smile and a shake of her head. It was, after all, ridiculous to think Sesshoumaru would ever hear those rumors. He was way above that.

"Ready?"- he pressed his hands on the handlebars waiting for her to wrap her arms around his torso

"As I'll ever be"- she pressed her face to his back

"Enough for me"- with that, he drove off campus.

Rin didn't press closer than necessary; her mind was elsewhere, in the palm of her sweaty hands, in the feel of the rock small enough to be kept from him. She didn't much speak and she didn't breathe sharply when they drove close enough to a car to have crashed against it, she didn't laugh either; if anything, her grip was languid and impersonal. He had a feeling there had been some kind of development, but chose not to ask until he could get her safely home. As it was, his instincts were telling him things were about to get worse.

* * *

-.-

**A/N:** As usual, let me know what you think :)


	12. Chapter 12: Jealosy monster

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters

**To my lovely readers:** I'm on a little vacation right now, so if I didn't post earlier, my sincerest apologies. Thanks to everyone who had reviewed, I do read them and they make my day, on in this case, my months. Same to all who have favorited or marked this story, I've been kind of busy, but I promise you, I'm not finished with this. Next to update will be pride and honor, so expect an update around the end of the week. ;)

I know there's been some concerns about Kikyo's role in this... you'll just have to wait and see ;)

* * *

**Jealousy Monster**

"No"

"Yes! Please, It will just be for a few hours"- she tried to keep the whine out of her voice

"No"

"Oh common! It's not like I have anything else to do!"

"…"- she held her breath-" I don't like to repeat myself"-

She snorted unladylike and stomped her feet on the small piece of white carpet in a way she knew unnerved him.

"Don't be childish"- he said, eying the screen once more and pointedly ignoring her

she was about to retort, but stopped with the words hanging on her mouth as she flashed him her best smile and approached him from the back of his chair, hugging him tighter than necessary and a lot stronger than was usually expected for someone her size- "I promise I'll buy you a souvenir"-

"…"- he removed a lock of his platinum hair from his eyes- "no"-

"You know there's nothing you can really do to stop me, right?"

He gave her a pointed look, daring her to say what she was going to say. She faltered-" ok, better yet; why don't you come with us?"- he lifted a single eyebrow as though questioning her sanity. Certainly Sesshoumaru didn't look like the kind of guy who would enjoy playing butler to a pair of shopping crazed women.

"How bad can it be? We'll only go shopping for a dress, and it's broad daylight and It's not like we're going that far; downtown isn't nearly as far as the place you took me a while ago"- She begged, trying not to let the memory of that day taint her face red.

" It can be bad, and I will not risk it"- he went back to typing on the computer as though he hadn't heard her in the first place. Rin seemed to underestimate the reach of the stalker, and he didn't yet know _why _she was being stalked in the first place. He shook his head when she got up from the table and walked slowly to her bedroom. Taking both their mugs of coffee away from the table.

"You know, friendship is a matter of choice; you can't force it"- then she closed the door and he didn't see her for the rest of the day.

Rin thought he was forbidding her from going out with Kikyo because he didn't want her to have other friends. It was a little more than that. The Last time he had seen her; Kikyo had looked a step away from fainting. That meant there was something in the area disturbing the balance in the spiritual plane. He didn't trust her to be strong enough to protect Rin.

He brushed another strand of hair and mused that no matter how much he tried to prevent it, he couldn't keep her in the pent- house like some sort of modern Rapunzel. He massaged the bridge of his nose and closed his laptop. They needed to talk, but he was really not in the mood to think about that at the moment, so instead he went to her door.

He stood in front of her door, thinking of all the possible things he could tell her to make her realize what he meant; to make her come to her senses. He raised his fist to knock on the door, then lowered it again. She just needed to sleep it off. Surely, in the morning everything would be fine.

Why then, couldn't he move from her door _his door_ he mused, as she was living in his apartment.

He rested his hands on the doorframe while he contemplated whether to leave or have a conversation with Rin.

-"hmm"- _I do indeed treat her like a child._

He decided against speaking to her, instead turning to his own room; that is, until the door at his back opened quietly, almost shyly, and Rin muttered something that sounded a lot like 'stay'. He froze in his doorstep, focusing instead on the shallow breathing of his…roommate at his back.

"I'm sorry"- she said- "please stay"-

He felt the air leaving him as she launched herself at his back, wrapping her arms around him as she buried her face to his back- "why are you apologizing?"- he turned slowly not quite understanding her sudden need to, for lack of a better word, cling to him.

"I didn't mean what I said, I know you have your reasons, and I'm sorry I acted like a brat".

He didn't say anything just let her hug him. Eventually, he stroked the back of her head to reassure her everything was fine. He did not care much for open displays of emotion, nor were they his forte, so he let it to her to be the emotional one out of the two ( even though he oftentimes found himself acting off character where she was concerned, hence the reason he no longer had a telephone in his house).

"Would you care to tell me what's bothering you?"-

"What do you mean?"

"You've been hiding something from me"- he waited for the quick reflexive gasp that escaped her, it was all the confirmation he needed- "I would like to know why"-

'_Why', he asks, not 'what', he wants to know why I decided not to tell him, but he's not asking me to reveal the details-" _I'm a big girl"-

-"…"- he breathed deeply- "so stubborn"-

- "I'm sorry"-

-"why do you apologize?"- he repeated

- "I don't know"-

- "do not waste your breath doing it then"-

- "I'm…"-she quickly corrected herself-" ok…"-she breathed deeply into his shirt, then mumbled-" you're a good friend"-

-"I know"

-"are you coming tomorrow?"

-"I am"

The conversation died after that and so the time passed like that, without either of them taking notice. At last, they heard the church's bell in the distance, it was apparently midnight already, so he took her to her bedroom and laid her down on the mattress, covered her in the covers and kissed her forehead, much in the same way one would do with a baby.

She barely hit the mattress before she fell asleep, and he was just about to brush her raven locks out of her face when mumbled something in her sleep and he leaned closer to catch it.

"mms 'cause I love you"- then the turned on her side facing him barely inches from where he had decided to lean his face- "hmm so dense"- then she went on about not moving a chair and a yellow kettle

He told himself what he was hearing wasn't meant for him, he even reprimanded himself over the fact he was eavesdropping on her babbles, but he still couldn't help the way his stomach twisted at the sound of those words. He took his face into his hands trying to rid himself of what he was thinking, as if the mere action was enough to suffice.

He wanted them to be meant for him.

_What have you done to me?- _he almost laughed…almost. He then decided he needed to get away from her before she took advantage of her. He rose from the bed and turned on his heel, intend in leaving her to rest; that is, until he caught a glimpse of something shining over her nightstand.

He stopped dead in his tracks as he picked up on what it was: the black cristal could not be anything other than a tainted piece of the shikon no tama. _But how? _It was destroyed! He was there when they destroyed it; when that mutt and his girlfriend had made it not to exist anymore. _No..this isn't that; I would have felt it by now._

It wasn't the Shikon no Tama, but it was too damn close for comfort. He would have to ask her about it later. For the time being, he would just let her be.

* * *

"Rin!"- He barked – "pay attention! I need you to stay with KIkyo at all times, under no circumstances are you to leave on your own, you will not be farther than six feet from her until I come and get you in two hours"

"Two hours? What am I supposed to do..?"-

"By the French bakery"- he continued, ignoring the fact that she had interrupted him.

"Fine! "

"Two hours"- he stressed, knowing she probably hadn't been paying attention to begin with.

"Ok ok… got it! Two hours, French bakery, be one with Kikyo"- she counted with her fingers- "anything else sir?"-

"Yes, take off that ridiculous thing"- he pointed to the furry white bun resting atop her head – "you look like a rat"-

"You wear a fur like this sometimes, Sesshoumaru"

"It is certainly not…"- he caught himself as she arched an eyebrow at him-"your two hours began 5 minutes ago"- he said in clipped tones and turned on his heel, going the opposite way from where Kikyo was coming.

Southern wasn't kidding, she noted, as she took in Kikkyo's creamy white complexion turned to something resembling a rock. That was definitely not her day. Rin put on her best smile and went to greet her friend. It seemed they hadn't been around each other for ages; for starters, Rin was always with Sesshoumaru, on classes or studying, the other problem was, the only class Rin shared with Kikyo, got cancelled in the middle of the trimester, so there was really no place for them to run into each other. The girl seemed to repel Sesshoumaru almost as much as he repelled her, it was a wonder they could agree on something to start with.

She and Kikyo walked for a while doing some catching up, until it occurred to her, she didn't really know much of the occasion except for what KIkyo had told her on the phone.

" So… what is the dinner thing you have?"- she asked, trying not to dwell on the fact that she really knew nothing of what was going on in her friend's life.

"It's nothing much, really. Some distant relatives I am to meet tomorrow. I think they want to discuss something important, although they did not tell me anything more than that"- she was looking ahead of her, as if there was thinking of something else entirely.

"Why the sudden interest? Do you even know these people?"

"Not really, I think my mother introduced me to those relatives sometime when I was four, but I can't remember anything other than the fact that they live on a shire, old thing smells like mold"

"A shire?"- She asked puzzled- _can this be some sort of coincidence?_ "I know…someone who lives on a shire, they look pretty happy though. Where did you say your relatives were from?"-

"I didn't"- she finally looked at her, but when she did, it was just. Plain. Awkward. She seemed to look right through her, _right through her lies_.

She smiled, and hoped it didn't look as forced as she felt it- "what?"-

"I just realized you're wearing a jacket like his"- she tilted her head to the side and Rin couldn't help but think she looked like a clay doll. She blushed

"This? Hehe… yeah, it's… a gift, of sorts"-

"A gift? From whom?"- she asked curiously. Rin would have been fooled, had she not lived for almost a month with Sesshoumaru.

"Ok! I get it…you know he gave it to me, so what? It's a nice jacket and he's a good friend"- she received one rised eyebrow fallowed by the other- "god! You two are so much alike!"

"I'm dragging you to help me pick up a dress, and I know you're not a shopping freak but you don't have to insult me for that"-

She snorted in a less than delicate way- "fine, I think we should go for that dress now..I'm thinking red, what do you think?"

* * *

-" Sesshoumaru-sama…err… I don't mean to intrude but…what exactly are we doing here? Last time we were at the mall, it was so you could get through to the park away from that pestilent plague control fume…"

"Jaken.."

"…and now that I think about it, that was nearly four years ago.."

"Jaken"

"I wouldn't blame you though, all this noise and smells, it's almost as unbearable…"

"JAKEN!"

"S-S-Se-sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Be silent, I cannot hear a thing over your incessant rambling"- he meant of course, he could not hear what _she_ was doing, but he didn't need to make it clear, Jaken knew, whatever the reason, there could only be one thing involved in that particular place, it started with a 'R' and ended in an 'in'.

He sighed, and walked to the food court; If he had to go through this, at the very least, he was going to have some ice-cream

* * *

- "So, how long until your sentinel comes back to get you?"- she asked while she looked at herself in the mirror; this was the fifth and Rin still didn't know what she was looking for; they all obviously fitted perfectly on her body, the color was not the problem, and neither was the money, but she insisted none of them were good enough

"My what?"- she snapped to focus- "oh! You mean Sesshoumaru?"

"Who else could I possibly be talking about? Are you seeing someone else? Please tell me it's not Kohaku!"- she twisted her mouth disapprovingly.

"What? No… of course not! I haven't talked to Kohaku since…since…"- she went quiet instantly. The memory from their last encounter was still very fresh in her mind and she didn't feel like discussing with Kikyo the fact that she had been right all along; her friends had an habit of always being right that she found rather annoying.

"You know, I thought after all this time, you would know to come and talk to me if you were in trouble"- she eyed the hem of her dress intently- "he's better off away from you and you know it"

"I don't know Kikyo, I feel he's not a bad person; he has just made some bad choices"- she played with the ends of her jacket, not daring to look at her friend. They had both heard the rumors about him being involved in some dirty business- " I can't really hold it against him, I can't be like that".

"Like what? Realistic?"

"I can't hold a grudge"

"You can't but apparently someone is holding one against you, that much is obvious if they call you at his house"

She snapped her head quickly to face her-" How did you..?"-

"He told me"- she said, then continued nonchalantly- "I think I'm taking this one"- she smoothed the skirt over her legs and nodded at the mirror once more

"Yes, that one is perfect…did you just say he told you? How come? You guys are best friends now? When did that even happen?"

"Calm down Rin, I have no interest in being friends with _him"_- she punctuated- "he had some…conditions for you coming here, you know".

"What kind of conditions?"- she had awakened her curiosity now.

"Don't worry Rin… everything will be fine, I'm sure he will be satisfied as long as you're safe".

"You seem to think he cares a lot more about me than he does"- she paused to think of the better way to ask the next question _just get it out already_- "Is there something you know I don´t? Something you're not telling me?"

"There is"- she confirmed

She waited for the other girl to say something else, and when it seemed she wasn't going to say anything else she had to insist.

"So?"

"So what? It's not my place to tell you Rin. I've been trying to warn you, you just don't listen"- She was about to protest, but whatever she had been planning to say, died in her lips as she realized Kikyo was not patronizing her. Instead, she was smiling, it was not a big smile, but still, it was genuine, and that was more than enough for her.

"You want me to get it out of him, don't you?"

"For your own benefit, yes".

"Well, since you seem so hell-bent on proving I can actually accomplish that, you tell me, how am I supposed to do that?"

She let out a cryptic smile-" I'm sure you'll figure it out".

* * *

He sniffed the air twice, then his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. The smells coming from the food court were nauseating to say the least, he suddenly missed the comfort of his pent house. The only reason he lived in the last floor secluded from nature was precisely because he needed to get away from the city. He had made sure of that.

He sniffed the air again, there it was. He couldn't quite understand what was happening, he knew he needed to get to her. To make sure this was just a mere coincidence

Jaken's eyes snapped up from his cone, feeling the agitation in the air, something was wrong, although his senses were not as developed as Sesshoumaru's he could feel the shifts in his aura a mile away, it wasn't everyday that one encountered aristocracy.

"Is something wrong, sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Silence, jaken, I can barely hear it among this _noise"_- he said spitefully.

Jaken shifted in his seat uncomfortably as he looked down at his hands and saw the cone melting in his hand like it had been put inside a microwave. _There goes my cone. Yup, definitely concerned._ He envied the attention this girl received from his friend, but wasn't foolish enough to say anything about it. He knew Sesshoumaru was pretty much in denial and he didn't want to be the one to break it to him.

Sesshoumaru furrowed his brow further still and narrowed his eyes, extending his aura carefully and subtly to the place he had last felt Rin. His suspicions were confirmed as he realized her essence was no were to be found. He closed his eyes briefly, but still, he felt nothing, in fact, he couldn't feel her in a mile radius. Something wasn't right.

"Err..Sesshou"- jaken began quietly, only to be interrupted as the man before him suddenly got up from his chair, knocking it down in the process as he walked in the general direction of what he now identified as a void.

"Stay here"- he called.

_And just like that, he vanished into the crowd. _Jaken swallowed what was left of the cone in one bite, not realizing he looked every bit the toad he actually was. Subtlety, he concluded, was definitely not his forte.

* * *

He walked through the mall with long strides, but it was hard to tell he was in a hurry, he didn't want to call for attention, just in case he was being seen, so he kept walking, he would latter deny it was hard for him to keep up the charade. He was always calm, no matter what… Or _who_

He descended the first flight of stairs and turned right, then left, to the place he had last felt them enter, it was a boutique right next to a lingerie store. He entered the store and panned the place with his eyes, the he inhaled in the toxic fragrance hanging heavily in the air and decided they weren't there; even if he couldn't feel her, Rin's scent was really hard to miss.

He excited the store briskly, ignoring the call of the seller inquiring if he was looking for something in particular.

Just as he meant to start looking in the other possible places they could be he was hit with the unmistakably sweet scent that could only belong to Rin.

He turned on his heels and entered the lingerie store without thinking, he chanced a look around, missing entirely the whole assemble of the very revealing, playful and colorful items all around the place. This store, he realized, had to be bigger than it appeared to be. And he could feel the void very close to him. he followed the distinct sound of silence, not in the actual sense of silence of course, it was more of a certainty that everything he should be listening to or feeling was not there, although he was sure no human or lesser demon would be able to feel it.

He walked around the main exhibition and almost took a step back when he realized just what kind of place they were at, and just who was looking at him straight in the eye, posing a very little very revealing and much too sexy piece pink lingerie.

It took her around five whole seconds to process the fact that he had seen her like that before she ran back inside the changing stall. He stood rooted to the spot for what seemed like hours, until his legs finally carried him back outside the door, refusing to acknowledge the fact that for a moment there, he had felt desire for his best friend.

* * *

She leaned against the door trying to calm her frantic heartbeats, she was embarrassed to say the least, and she didn't think herself a prude, no. it was because _he _had seen her like that, modeling that skimpy little piece Kikyo had dared her to wear. She of course, wasn't one to cower before a challenge, so she had taken the set and tried it on without much of a fuss, it was all in good fun, and besides it wasn't like she was trying it for anyone in particular, just girls having fun. That had been her last though before she went out of the stall and modeled the…thing, right in front of Sesshoumaru.

_Good I'm sooooo stupid! Idiot! __Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! __Idiot! Idiot! Idi-_

"Are you done kicking yourself Rin?"- called kikyo through the door. She just knew the girl was trying not to laugh at her. Although, to be honest, she wasn't trying very hard either.

"Why didn't you tell me he was right outside?"- she squeaked while trying desperately to remove the straps in her thighs

"He came out of nowhere! It's like he was waiting for the right moment to show up or something"- Again, Rin could almost hear the laugh waiting to bubble off the other girl at any moment.

"Oh god! Could this get any worse? I live with him! And I just know he's not going to say anything, but he'll never forget _that!"_

"Don't be so dramatic, you already gave him a free show, might as well move on. Seriously though, are you sure that wasn't your plan all along?"

She snapped the door open throwing a murderous look at the now laughing Kikyo. She decided to ignore her of her teary eyes as they exited the store, Kikyo carried a bag with her and but she didn't feel in the mood to ask.

* * *

She was probably being childish, but she didn't want to face him just yet, so instead she when right past Sesshoumaru and let Kikyo and he discuss whatever was the agreement to their little escapade.

She went to pick a pastry inside the bakery while they stayed outside. The smell of the muffins soon swept her away to happier places and so she decided in a whim she would get one of each muffin they had to offer, so that's how 5 minutes later, she paid the cashier for a bag full of 20 muffins, each one smelled wonderful and she knew that's what she needed in order to take her mind off some more depressing facts in her life at the moment.

She went to the door, bumping into someone on the way, she didn't get to see the man's face, but she was instantly filled in the scent of the strange man, musky, she thought, but he rushed passed her in a way no gentleman would have done. The man left her standing right before the door as he joined the busy hallways with a tall coffee on his leather covered hand and a newspaper on the other.

Rin huffed quietly and went to open the door, _no one cares for chivalry anymore_

She noted the sudden change in the atmosphere as she joined the table her two friends occupied. Neither of them spoke a word, but they each seemed to be looking rather annoyed at the other, she didn't know whether to call that an improvement, but she decided she didn't want to share their silence, seeing as she already felt uncomfortable enough as it was. She extended the bag to them without looking up as she sent on rambling about the weather.

Each reluctantly took one out of the bag (it tastes better if it's a surprise, Rin insisted) and took both bored and angry bites at the muffins, later, she would learn sesshoumaru's favorites were blueberry muffins while KIkyo's varied from time to time from white chocolate to lemon. She frowned into her own carrot muffin, _whatever happened to simple stuff like chocolate chip or plain vanilla muffins?_

On the way back home, Rin registered two things: the first, Sesshoumaru now carried the bag Kikyo had gotten from the lingerie store. The second, there was a very familiar kind of envelope in her jacket pocket she didn't remember having put there.

She went to open it, but decided against it when she realized sesshoumaru kept watching her every move and that would only make the day worse. So she ignored the envelope for the time being, there would be enough time for the stalking drama tomorrow. She cast one last look at the bag resting between them – _as for the lingerie - _she thought, tightening her fists-_ that's entirely another matter._

The day just seemed to get a little darker.

-.-

* * *

A/N: what's in the bag? what's Kikyo talking about? what happened at the mall? so many questions unanswered... you've got to love the drama XD


	13. Chapter 13: beneath the surface

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters (I swear)

It's time to shake things up s bit, don't you think? ;)

* * *

**Beneath the surface. **

He got in the apartment just five steps after Rin. She was upset and he didn't know why, she'd been quiet since the day they had visited the mall. He refused to believe it had something to do with their run- in at the lingerie store that day, he had pretty much made an effort not to relief those memories out of respect for her and he didn't mention anything about it either.

That said, he really found it much harder than he had anticipated. In fact, it was becoming nearly impossible to sleep without thinking of it. It was always on his mind, when he woke up, when she walked out her door, when she quietly offered him coffee, right before he went to sleep, and the very thing that filled his dreams. In fact, at that precise moment, there were only two things in his thoughts. The first, he needed to avoid her until he could figure out what to do with the image of her half naked in the most provocative piece of clothing he had ever laid eyes on. (And he was by no means a virgin).

The second, was a little more pressing matter. She had received another letter and it was a little more disturbing than the last one. There was nothing written on the envelope, instead, there was a black lock of hair. Upon closer Inspection, they realized Rin hair was missing a lock in the back of her hair. Her stalker had been close enough to her to get a piece of her hair. He felt his rage swelling in his chest like a wave and it took all he had in him not to lock her up for the rest of her life, to be safe with him.

Kikyo had analyzed the piece of stone he had found in Rin's nightstand and they deduced it had to be a concealing stone. It was meant to hide someone's presence even from the most dangerous of demons. They also came across a small revelation. The stone didn't look like the Shikon no tama out of some petty coincide. It seemed the stone was a fake Shikon no Tama. An imitation of some sort which they deduced had not served its right purposes. It still changed colors much in the same way the original one did, but they didn't know which exact emotions triggered it, or to what extent. That explained the void he had _felt? _At the mall merely day before, but it also brought a terrifying revelation; there were others out there and someone was planning to use them on Rin.

They both agreed then, Rin had to be briefed on what they both knew about the stone, the how was something neither one of them wanted to figure out just yet.

He suggested Kikyo would be best to explain everything to Rin seeing as she was the priestess and she _was_ still supposed to be human. She, of course, did not agree.

* * *

-"When do you plan on telling her?" – came the question from the other end of the line

-"When the time is right"-She has been pestering him about it for a while now-

-"and when exactly will that be? When she gets attacked for good? You can't exactly keep this charade much longer"- she sing-songed sarcastically.

" You must know that from personal experience" he snapped before he stood up from the seat in kitchen counter. He was doubling his intake of coffee since it had been a week since last time they had it on campus. - "How long have you known her now?"

- "my business with her do not concern you, _demon_"- the corners of his mouth lifted slightly at the tone she used. He picked his keys and he told himself he didn't care the absence of another girlier, more colorful set. _The one he'd given her._ He opened the door and tossed the newspaper in the trashcan. He had spent the last 2 hours trying to make sense of the mixed words and the headlines he didn't particularly care about

- "She's not stupid, she'll find out sooner or later"- he took his Zippo out of his pocket and lit up a cigarette. Something he did when he felt frustrated. And that was not too often.

- "She's not ready for it yet, also, the _other_ priestess doesn't know yet either. It would seem to the best interest not to let this get in the way until we know for sure"- she seemed to consider something for a few seconds, then added - "the results come out tomorrow, but the grand father is convinced they will be positive"

- "To the best interest of whom?"- He blew the smoke of his cigarette- "she's not a pawn and she's not a child"

- "You sure have treated her as such"- he stopped right before his motorcycle- "tell me, are you trying to protect her from danger or from yourself?"

- "I don't know of what you speak, woman"

- "don't be difficult, you're not fooling anyone here. By the way, nice jacket you got her, I'm sure she'll appreciate your new acquisition just as m-"- he pressed the 'end' button angrily before tossing it in his jacket pocket and putting on his sunglasses, ready to go to the university and confront Rin about all this fucking silence she was keeping around him. Maybe then he could shake off the feeling that he missed her warmth on his back and the arms around his torso.

* * *

Rin hunched over her latest project as she inspected the scale model she had just made. It was proportionate, it had the right scale, it was well illuminated, it was geometrically perfect, it was well placed in its context, and. She. Hated. It. she hated its guts, its stupid perfect proportions, its stupid perfect facades, its ability to always do the right things at the right time, to look so pristine white and never out of place, though it obviously didn't belong with other mortals,_ and the fact that he was probably having a fling with her best friend_.

She should have known all along, they were both too damn perfect to be with anyone but the other, she didn't know how it had happened, but she knew that stupid bag had to be some kind of anniversary gift. Everyone knew sexy underwear was not for the wearer, but for the one who saw it. She blushed intensely remembering the way Sesshoumaru had looked at her two weeks before at the lingerie store. _Those eyes weren't meant for you._ They (her so called friends) had been seeing each other since that day. And she hated how she felt when she knew they were away without her. She should be happy for them. They were both dear friends of her. _And it's not like we are a couple._ Except, of course, he _had_ seen her in her underwear and technically, they did live together, it was only a matter of time before she came home to find them both in the apartment doing…

"Arrrggg! Damn it!"- She threw the carefully armed model across the room where it hit the wall and shattered to pieces. She was not having any luck with this project, and it was due for the next three days. She was doomed not to sleep for the rest of her life.

"Hnn I can return later if you want…" came a small voice from the opened door of the atelier.

She lifted her eyes at the familiar voice " Shippo? What are you doing here?"- she got up from her bench and went to hug him

"Ahem.. Funny thing you should ask… I was walking by and I almost got hit by this" -he rose a piece of her shattered scale model- " so I thought, maybe I should give it back to its right owner, you know? It looks like they took a lot of time to do it"- he smiled putting her designed piece over the table in front of her. Then he took a bag from his back "plus, I brought you some muffins, in case you needed to take a break.

She took a look at the paper bag "He sent you, didn't he?"

"Who sent me? I told you, I was just passing by..

"You were passing by the ateliers? Shippo, you're an engineer, you don't 'pass by' this side of the campus "

"w-w-well maybe I wanted to visit you…you look really stressed" He took his hand inside the bag- "here, have one"

"Shippo, only Sesshoumaru knows what my favorite type of muffins are, and I would bet my next project there's no muffin in that bag other than almond ones"

"II-I-It was just a lucky guess, the-they're my favorite too" he said practically shoving the muffing in her face, before he decided to take it himself instead.

"So, since when do you go to the third avenue? I thought you lived on campus?"

He stopped mid-bite "The third what?"-

"The third avenue, you know the one where you can find this coffee chain, a bit like Starbucks, isn't it?"

"Ah! Y-y-yes! The third avenue, I have a cousin who lives there!"- She raised her eyebrows- "ah yeah, the coffee shop, it's alright, like the… busy feeling to….what?"- he asked defensively

"Shippo, this muffins are from a very little, very private café on St. Mark's Boulevard which looks nothing like Starbucks"- his cheeks flamed red for a moment before he cracked.

"Fine! He gave me the bag and paid me 20 bucks to get it to you and keep you company".

"Now, that's more like it! I've always loved your honesty"- she picked a muffin out the bag- "And for the record, I know you don't have any relatives on the country"

* * *

He got there, but of course, she was nowhere to be found. She had been avoiding him for a week now, spending her afternoons at the university's ateliers rather than frequenting the places where they usually met. She barely came home now and he was worried that's exactly what her stalker wanted, for them to be apart. When he failed to approach her, he had taken to shamelessly stalki…err…keeping an eye on her. Jaken Had the nerve to call him the watchman, he preferred to think of himself as her protector. By the time she got home, she would claim to be too tired and go straight to her room. He was not happy about it.

He decided that night would be different. And she was going to like it.

* * *

She rubbed her eyes tiredly as she tried to focus her sight on the blurry lines before her.. She groaned and dropped her head over the laptop before her. Her headache was turning into full-blown migraine.

Her nose twitched on its own accord when the smell of cinnamon hit her nostrils. She looked through the curtain of her hair and sure enough, there it was; the only yellow cup in the whole apartment. He had bought it especially for her, she had said it she always dreamed of warm landscapes where everything had a distinct yellow hue. She guessed it was his way of calling a truce.

"Thank you"- She went to take the cup from his hands, not daring to meet his gaze, even as she felt his eyes on her. He held to the cup a little longer than needed and brushed his fingers to hers. Her hands tickled at the contact.

"Join me"- he asked as silent as ever, while he stretched his other hand in a silent invitation. If she didn't know him, she would have thought there was a hint of longing in his voice. But she did know him and she knew he didn't usually take no for an answer.

She placed her palm on his larger one and got up from the desk, leaving her work aside for a moment. She needed to get away from it, either way. He led her into the living room and they sat on the couch quietly seeping their coffee. Now that they had blinds, they couldn't even pretend to be watching out the window. The silence between them had never been this uncomfortable and Rin did not like it.

"S-s-Sesshoumaru…"-

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to"- he told her staring deeply into his cup. She wondered if he'd ever looked at anyone like that.

She let go of the breath she didn't even know she was holding- "I know"-

They finished their coffee and soon she realized what his invitation had actually meant. He took her hand and placed it over the piano, over one of the high key octaves. Then he started to play over the lower octaves- "as long as you're happy"- He assured her

"When did you and Kikyo started dating?"- The music stopped abruptly

He was left speechless; quite literally, all he could do was to stare at her and blink slowly. He studied her for what felt like a lifetime and for a moment, she wasn't even sure he was breathing. Then his pupils dilated and she trembled slightly as she felt Goosebumps all over her back. Then his attention went back to the piano, continuing as if nothing had happened.

She placed one of her hands over his right one, the one closest to her. He closed his eyes and she felt his skin grow warm beneath her hands. He didn't want to look at her- "what's going on, Sesshoumaru?"

"It is nothing" he replied brusquely. Maybe she had hit a nerve, but she had to know.

"Then why won't you look at me?"- She took his face in her hands but still he refused to open his eyes._. _She was starting to shake a little. _Were the windows open?- _"I don't really mind, you know, you guys are both my friends. I want to see you happ…"- her speech died in her lips as she was suddenly looking into his eyes, his red, glowing, furious eyes. The voice that followed didn't belong to the caring friend she had come to think of as her protector. It was rather the growl of a beast.

"S-s-sesshoumaru…"- she passed a hand over his cheekbones, where his markings now stood very real against the tip of her fingers- "your eyes…what...? How's this possible?" She blurted. He lifted the corners of his mouth, and for the first time, she didn't think of his perfect lips, but rather, the fangs she could now see in plain sight.

"You don't know a thing, Rin"- she swallowed loudly as she made sense of what he was trying to tell her. She was rather distracted by the way his voice had morphed into something resembling a roar. Was he possessed? Suddenly_ the exorcist _didn't seem as unreal as she had previously thought. Out of the corner of her eye, she could distinguish something yellow floating not too far away from them. _The mug._

"Sesshoumaru"- She swallowed again as she choked on his name- "come back. Come back to me"- His eyes narrowed slightly as her words sank in. She still didn't think him capable of evil. He would have to make it very clear to her.

"This is who I am, _Rin_"- He extended his aura in her direction, all over the pent house. Suddenly the atmosphere became oppressing. She breathed difficultly and the air seemed to crack with electricity. All objects in the room started to shake, or move. Gravitating, she realized, around them. Around him. Just who was he? _What_ was he? She was shaking, positively to the core, there was nothing natural about the way her hair flew around her face, or the way her every nerve stood on end at the sight before her.

In her state of horrified silence something sank inside of her; this particular event brought to her mind the way he had enveloped her a few months before when she had been freezing to death. His aura didn't seem so scary, it was _him_ she was feeling, and the knowledge gave her a sense of comfort, a sense of home she hadn't felt so strongly before. He could be warm and compassionate as well. She knew _who_ he was, and she decided it didn't matter what he was or how he was doing it. She knew_ him…_

She tightened her hold against his hand, smiling up to him contently- "I'm glad I can finally see the real you"- as soon as the words left her mouth his eyes went back to their regular golden color, his markings subdued and his lips returned to their usual godlike state. He stared at her in awe and she couldn't help but think the expression didn't much suit him. Her smile widened as she realized she had accomplished something nearly impossible; to render him speechless- "something wrong?"

He didn't answer her question; instead he leaned closer to her and kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes and then opened them slowly as she felt his warm breath on her face, over her lips. She jumped back in surprise, blushing furiously at their accidental proximity. He hadn't moved, so she locked her eyes on his golden ones and then she finally understood. The electricity between them had little to do with his demonic aura. He was embracing her, letting her in, enveloping her in his essence, reaching out to her very soul. It was him and her, colliding in one perfect moment.

He took her hand in his, effectively keeping her in place. He stopped briefly then, and something flashed in his eyes. She didn't dare to move, in case her heart decided to stop beating. The sound was deafening in her ears, and it crossed her mind it had to be the way he was looking at her.

It didn't matter though, because then, He pulled her to him and that was all the warning she got before he crashed his lips to hers. She'd never imagined that moment before, but even if she had, she was sure it wouldn't have been as perfect.

His lips pressed against hers in a slow, sensual way. She let him invade her mouth and caress her hair into submission. Eventually, her shock subsided and she kissed him back. She felt herself fly even as all objects around them suddenly fell to the floor and laid there forgotten. There would be enough time to clean. There would be enough time to finish the project. At that moment, all she could do was basking in the glory of the electricity jolts running through her body.

Explanations could wait as well.

-.-

* * *

A/N: was that convincing? Let me know what you think ;)


	14. Chapter 14: hard to believe

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha or any of the characters

NOTE: This is not post cannon, it is in some ways, it's not in other ways, that said, the humans and other characters in this story are not reincarnation of their own selves in the anime, It's just a new take on things. More about how they got there and who they are shall be explained in this chapter. ;)

Please note the rating in this chapter has changed, just to be safe.

* * *

**Hard to believe**

Two weeks passed this time, but neither of them spoke much of the events from that night. The sexual tension between the two could practically be cut with a knife. To Jaken, that was obvious, to them, it was _complicated._ They had established an unspoken contract and it dictated they shall be friends above all. That didn't exactly made things easier.

On Monday, he offered a ride to the university in his car. It had been raining, so Rin thought nothing of it, he had opened the door for her and she tried her best not to act like a love stuck teenager. It was not that easy. He had dressed like a model (maybe a really stylish rock star) and the leather seats in the Lamborghini were so soft she couldn't help but think what it would feel like to make out in a place like that. Everything only got worse when he remarked on the blush that had made its way to her face. 'You look cute enough to eat' he had said. Needless to say, that had only made her blush further. She just knew he had done it on purpose.

Tuesday was a little different. She got up early in the morning and the moment she opened the door, the first thing that came to her attention was Sesshoumaru's open door across from hers. _Weird_ she remembered thinking _he never leaves the door open_. Then she realized what had happened as he came out of his room with a white towel dangling impossibly low on his hips. Apparently, he had forgotten to take his underwear with him. She still wondered how those black boxers looked on him.

Wednesday came around like any other regular Wednesday. Neither had classes first thing in the morning, so she decided it would be a good moment to practice her yoga as she usually did when she needed to let some tension flow. She had set her mat down on the floor and started stretching. She was trying a new tricky move when she felt her back tense and the left side over her shoulder started to cramp. She immediately dropped her position, falling with a loud 'thud' over the mat and clenching her teeth together as the pain spread all over her clavicle and the side of her neck. He was there in a second. He took her into his arms and lifted her to a sitting position 'I need to see it' he had said and when she agreed, he lifted her cotton shirt over her head, leaving her in her sports bra. She had always been too shy to wear them alone like the rest of the girls did. He sat behind her and then took her arm in one hand pressing the other to her shoulder, then, he started rubbing it firmly and slowly in circle motions. She thought maybe it was unnecessarily long, but she was too weak to refuse his attentions.

Thursday, she couldn't sleep, so she got up from the bed and made her way to the kitchen. He was there, drinking a glass of champagne. Her eyes immediately landed on his bare chest. He'd always liked to go around his apartment shirtless. She felt she had robbed him of that, so when he got up to put something on, she had stopped him. With a hand to his chest. Her hand still tingled from the contact and if his tense muscles were anything to go by, she'd say he felt it too.

It was finally Friday and all she could do was prey nothing more happened. She wasn't sure she had the strength to keep her end of the deal. _Friends _she insisted _we're just friends!... _Who had kissed… and seen each other half naked. She was screwed.

The clock on the wall read 7:00. She had to be on campus by 7:30 and still, no traces of her roommate. She moved her legs obsessively beneath the counter of the kitchen. She hadn't seen him that morning, usually he was up and about before 7:00 and she knew for a fact he had classes that morning. She decided to investigate.

As she walked down the hall she noticed his light was on, maybe she would need to hurry him up. Strange as it sounded. She knocked his door

- "Sesshoumaru?"- She called, pressing her ear to the door as she realized no sound came from inside. She knocked one more time before she turned the doorknob. She knew his room had a balcony. Maybe he was there?

She walked into his room quietly, trying not to touch anything. She knew he was a very private person and she didn't want to disrupt his space. That didn't mean she could not look around, though. His room was, to put it simply, impressive. The walls were painted in light grey with no clutter whatsoever on them, the floor was just as empty, the only thing over the light wood was a fluffy white rug. There was no TV or any other form of entertainment, except for a few books and a stereo connected to his iPod. The furniture was composed of a desk near the window, two nightstands and a shelf for the books and other peculiar objects like two swords and a purple and yellow obi, somehow that seemed familiar.

His balcony, she noticed, was directly in front of the bed and she briefly wondered if he slept with the doors opened. As predicted, his sheets were dark grey, very masculine and yet, it was a lot like him, she concluded his room suited him.

His closet was half opened and sticking out of it, she could see something red and white in the hangers. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a Japanese traditional outfit. Mostly white, with cherry blossoms on the hems and definitely expensive, that didn't surprise her though. This _was_ sesshoumaru and regardless of his (mostly) laid-back nature, he _did _own the building where they lived. She put it carefully back and decided to end her little tour. That is, until something caught her eye in the floor of the closet; it was the bag from the lingerie store.

Her pulse suddenly quickened as she reached her hand to grab it. It was sealed with a red sticker announcing the nature of the store boldly, she knew if she broke it, he would know she had been snooping around in his room.

Through the open door, she heard the ding of the elevator, indicating Sesshoumaru's arrival. She didn't have much time to think, so she made up her mind and fled the room.

She almost collided to his chest, but stopped herself just in time to greet him outside his door.

- "Rin?"

- "Hey! I thought you had overslept, sorry I entered your room"- she said, trying to keep her voice steady. Thankfully, he was running late as well.

- "Are you ready to go?"- He asked, eying her carefully. She looked a little jumpy

- "Yeah, sure…uh..Just let me grab my…uh… scarf!"- She blurted before she ran into her room, slamming the door behind her.

_Think Rin, think!- _she opened her purse and cast a look inside it, biting her lips obsessively.

- "Rin, are you ok?"- He asked through the door

- "ah.. Yes…just a sec!"- She didn't have time for this. Before he called again, she opened the door and flashed him her best smile- "let's go!"

* * *

Rin drifted off in the middle of the class for the hundredth time. This math session was one she was sure to repeat back home, that much was clear. She sneaked a look at the man sitting beside her and quickly looked back to her notes as he stared right back at her.

Now that they had spoken of the stone and his heritage there was nothing else she could possible think about, there were too many things on her mind at the moment.

- "Sesshoumaru, Rin, would you stay after class? There's something important I need to discuss to the both of you" called the professor from the podium. They exchanged confused looks ( Rin's was confused, Sesshoumaru's was barely intrigued) but agreed nonetheless. They didn't really have a choice

The class went on as usual until the very last minute, they had almost forgotten all about the meeting they would have afterwards but a pointed look from Totosai left them standing at the front of the auditorium after everyone else was gone (except for that annoying suck up student who never got the hint) but that was solved easily enough as the clueless man closed the door on the poor guy's face.

Then he turned a more serious look upon them, and Rin had to wonder for a moment if she had inadvertently done something wrong to upset the man in front of them. He was no longer the quivering professor who lectured them on complicated math operations, he was entirely someone else.

"It was far too easy, you made it far too easy"- he said, as he placed the remaining lock of Rin's hair out of his coat pocket and over the table. Rin had seen that coat before.

She was instantly hit with a wave of nausea as she registered Totosai's coat, her missing lock of hair over the table and his leather gloved hand, just sliding into the aforementioned coat. She now realized where she recognized the man's musky scent from, it had been with her all trimester and yet she could not believe this was the same person who had bumped on her a week before in the coffee shop, she refused to believe he was the mysterious stalker. She felt her feet rooted to the floor, and just as she regained consciousness of their current situation it occurred to her they should be running, calling for help, _anything. _Then she felt his hand on her shoulder, a silent request to stay put, she cast a terrified look at her roommate _had he gone out of his mind?_

There was only one possible interpretation for his expression. He didn't say anything and for a stranger, it would seem his face was as vacant as ever, but to her, it read loud and clear _trust me._

She was not completely convinced, but the weight of his hand was comforting on her shoulder and so, she allowed herself to trust him. He had never let her down.

"What is the meaning of this Totosai?"- his voice came out low and clear, in a way she was sure had to be rehearsed, no normal person could sound that menacing without meaning to.

The math Professor (although she wasn't really sure he was a professor anymore) smiled cryptically before lifted his right hand to his breast pocket. She felt the pressure being lifted from her hand almost at the same time she registered Sesshoumaru had moved across the room to stop Totosai's hand before it reached his pocket.

-"Easy there Sesshoumaru, there's no need for any of that, I don't mean to threaten her life"- Rin had the impression something was exchanged between them as they held each other's glances, because next thing she knew, her friend was letting go of Totosai's arm and he took his wallet out of his pocket, opening it right before their eyes. _Correction, not his wallet, his badge…what? _

-"What the hell is going on?"- She muttered almost to herself. She was getting more and more frustrated with all the people in her life trying to keep things from her. _Important things, like my math teacher being a cop… I think_

- "This, miss"- he said placing the badge over his desk- "is all the proof you need to tell Sesshoumaru here to back down. I don't mean any harm to any of you. I've been investigating on a number of illegal activities happening downtown and somehow, my investigation led me straight to you. Someone is trying to get to you"-

- "well, that doesn't explain why you have a lock of my hair on you!"- She snapped back a little more disrespectfully than she actually intended.

- "ah yes, your hair, well, you see, I came to see you three weeks ago about the evidence I had found, but as it is, I was told by the very…charming roommate you have that you no longer lived on campus. She then explained how you had been receiving all this letters and packages and that's how I knew you were already more involved in all this crap than any young lady like yourself has any right to". He then took something else out of his pocket, when he put it on his desk she realized it was a key. "This was sent to you on that envelope I gave you, it is covered in the blood of a businessman killed a month ago downtown, so I took the envelope and I've been watching you from afar ever since"- he seemed to consider something for a moment before he added- "I have to say though, that phone you threw out the window almost hit my head before crashing to the ground. You shouldn't be so reckless!"- He accused while he pointed a curved finger on Sesshoumaru's face.

Rin swore Sesshoumaru's gaze got a little bit colder at that (if that was even possible) Totosai was pushing all his buttons and Rin wasn't sure he was above hitting an old man.

-"so, you're the one who's been stalking me?"- She wasn't sure what to believe anymore

- "silly girl, have you not been listening? The danger you're in is very real and though I would love to reassure you, we don't really have any solid lead and there's someone out there who's really trying to get to you!"- He half shouted at her. Then he seemed to remember Sesshoumaru was standing by (or looming over) him and he nervously cleared his throat- well, at any rate, I was hoping you could help us out a little. Is there any reason why a mass murdered, drug-dealing, abusive, corrupt gangster would want to kidnap you?

* * *

He needed a drink, maybe he needed to smoke. The arms around her tightened slightly as he came particularly close to a giant truck and he loosened his grip in the handle bars. He hadn't realized he was going almost twice as fast as the speed limit allowed.

He was not happy about the new developments in their lives. If the police was involved it could only mean this stalker was nearing his mark. All this drama was a little more than he was used to take on a regular day's basis and he was sure Rin's silence meant she was not doing any better herself.

He decided then and there he would have to do something he had been dreading to do for a while now, but he couldn't put it off any longer. They stopped in front of a traffic light while they waited for the cars to pass.

"Do you need to do anything important right now?"- He asked her out of the blue.

"Umm…no. why?"- He imagined the curious expression she was most likely wearing underneath the helmet.

"I need to pay someone a visit"-

"And you want me to come with you?"

"It would be convenient, yes"- his eyes stared right ahead of him. There was someone watching them

"May I ask who is this mysterious someone?"-

"Inuyasha" – he answered coldly. She knew it wasn't meant for her, but her mind inevitably wondered to the night he had shown his demonic self. She didn't think she ever wanted to be at the end of his wrath.

When he heard the click of the camera, it was already too late. All cars passes around them and it wasn't like he could stay in the middle of the street to make them pay. The light turned to green and he accelerated. The sooner they got there, the sooner they could leave.

* * *

Inuyasha wasn't pleased with their visit and he responded with a gracious 'that makes two of us, you mutt'. The minute they had knocked on the door Rin knew they would be in for a rough visit. She recognized the guy, as he had once been at the university. She remembered Sesshoumaru's reaction when she'd mentioned him as well. Despite that, she figured it was probably best if she was there, just in case her best friend decided to go a little violent on his half-brother.

- "get the fuck out of my house, you bastard and take your little girlfriend with you"

- "Really Inuyasha, the only bastard around here is you. Never mind though, I don't exactly wish to stay in this dump you call home longer than needed"- she noticed he didn't correct his brother…err…half-brother on his comment about their relationship.

- "I don't care what you're here for, you asshole. I don't have to" –

- "It's about Naraku"- he cut in. Inuyasha stayed silent for a minute, looking alternatively between the two of them. Rin would have given anything to know what he was thinking then.

- "If this is one of your sick jokes, I'm going to make you regret ever coming to see me"- threatened Inuyasha before he turned to walk inside his apartment, leaving the door open for them to enter, but never actually inviting them in.

Rin looked around the small apartment and couldn't help feeling suffocated. There was dirty laundry, empty ramen cups, shoes, mugs, movies and a few other things she couldn't identify all over the place; on the floor, over the (precariously built) coffee table, on the couch. _Was that bag just moving?_ She resisted the urge to jump over the table. _Probably not safe, either way_ she thought.

Sesshoumaru didn't even finch, but she had a feeling he had been expecting such disaster. He really hadn't been exaggerating when he called his half-brothers place a dump. He stood stoically in the middle of the room and Rin couldn't help but think, even in the middle of all the clutter, he still looked like royalty. Sometimes she forgot how demanding his presence could be.

She decided to stay close to him, just in case.

"I see you still don't know anything about living in the civilized world"- he commented spitefully. She almost face-slapped at his complete lack of respect for Inuyasha. She felt sorry for the guy

"Save your comments Sesshoumaru, I don't care she's here, I can still kick your sorry asses out the window. Maybe the fall will give her a sense of perspective"- He responded heatedly. She took back her previous thought, he probably deserved to be treated like that.

"You wouldn't be able even if you wanted to, Inuyasha, but spare me any further threats. What do you know about Naraku's business downtown?"

"Are you on crack Sesshoumaru? The guy was found dead on his ass a year ago. You where there!"

Sesshoumaru then took the key Totosai had given them out of his slacks pocket and held it in front of Inuyasha.

"There's been a new development. You should know, you failed to make the right wish when you had the chance"

"Oh yeah? Then tell me, how the hell was I supposed to know that would happen? Like you could have done it any better"

"I've never cared for that blasted stone and you know it. You've always been the weak one"- he looked at his half brother with such hatred Rin almost didn't recognize the man standing beside her.

Inuyasha kept silent for three exact seconds before he burst out laughing. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed and he closed his fists by his sides. Rin knew that was probably their cue to leave.

"what's so funny"- he asked through clenched teeth

"you're so desperate to make me believe I'm a weakling, but at least I don't carry my pets around with me"-

There were no eyes in the world fast enough to catch what happened then, but if the sound was anything to go by, she would say sesshoumaru had punched his brother right on the jaw and he apparently broke it. She paled beside him, until Inuyasha started moving just a few seconds after the blow. She was sure a punch like that would have killed any normal man. He was still laughing, regardless not as loudly as before.

"Touchy, are we Sesshoumaru?"- He rubbed his jaw with one of his hands. Rin could have sworn she heard the bone pop back into place- "I will ask some friends what they know, but if he opened the lock, there's not much either of us can do, your best shot is finding the pearl"

"Don't be ridiculous, that already proved to be a waste of time".

"Bakusaiga won't work unless you find a way to unlock its power Sesshoumaru"- The way he said it made it sound like they'd been through that a thousand times- "And you call _me _stupid?"

"Bakusaiga will work if I summon its power"- he spat at Inuyasha, though even Rin could see it was just a defensive mechanism- "I just need to find the trigger".

"You've been trying to do that for the last 200 years! When are you going to get it through your thick head? It won't work!"- Inuyasha was talking to him as if he were a child. If Rin knew her friend like she thought she did, he was going to snap again.

She wasn't wrong; the lash of raw power that followed nearly knocked her to her knees. Inuyasha's eyes opened like platters as he leaned his hand on the wall behind him for support. Apparently, he could feel it too.

"You will help me find that son of a bitch, whether you like it or not"- Sesshoumaru barked.

"I thought the priestesses had locked that inside of you!"

"That's not important"- he said, already losing his patience

"Why don't you ask Kikyo, then? I heard she was hanging at the shire these days. Maybe you can pay them a visit?" – he crocked his lips in a self assured smile- "If you're lucky, they could purify you together"

Sesshoumaru ignored his last comment as he replied- "Kikyo's not being very forthcoming and I rather think he might be after something else"

"And what would that be?"

Sesshoumaru didn't respond, he just turned his back on Inuyasha and walked out the door, not once looking back. She knew the answer to that question though: _me._

There were a million questions running through her head at that moment; they had spoken about something called Bakusaiga. _What the hell was that?_ Then there was the thing about Sesshoumaru's youki. He hadn't mentioned a thing about that, then again, she supposed it made sense, and she hadn't noticed anything until a week before. _Did he say he was older than 200 years? _That little piece of information caught her off guard.

Everything about their conversation seemed bizarre, like they lived on an entirely different universe; one where Inuyasha, her two best friends (Kikyo apparently knew Inuyasha), her stalker and even her math teacher belonged. That much was clear when they had spoken about a lock that apparently opened with the key Totosai had given them and then, of course, this Naraku guy. The name sounded a little familiar, but she wasn't sure where she'd heard it before.

Sesshoumaru sensed her agitation and quickly started thinking of the best way to deviate her attention to less important things.

"What do you want to do tonight?"- He asked over the roaring wind

"Hm?"- Apparently, she was not expecting him to speak, he couldn't blame her. He usually didn't.

"Is there anything you would like to do tonight?"- he repeated

"Not really…"- She was quiet for a minute and he waited patiently for her to continue- although, it's been a while since I last went dancing.

"Where would you like to go to dance?"- He asked after a small moment of consideration.

"I don't really know the city, maybe you could show me some place?"-

"Then hold on tight"- he smiled inside his helmet as she held him tight enough to break a rib.

* * *

They entered the apartment one after the other (Rin limping, Sesshoumaru walked like any other day, although he was having a little feedback from the loud music at the nightclub they had decided to go).

"Can't feel my feet"- she whimpered as they went to seat on the couch. It had been a great night. One she was sure she would remember.

She took off her high heels and pressed her swollen feet to the cool floor, marveling in the feeling of total freedom that came with it.

He took off his jacket and threw it over the coffee table along with the keys to his car (he said the motorcycle was for days she was not wearing a short cocktail dress and high heels) and they laid side by side, staring firmly at the blinds in front of them.

"It was nice"- she said at last, letting out her breath and facing him with her head pressed to the couch- "I mean, going out, do something different. I had a great time"- then she threw him a smile that almost knocked the air out of his lungs.

"Indeed"- was all he said, but he too, rested his head on the couch, looking at his roommate beside him.

"Do you go out often? I couldn't help but notice how the guards seemed to know you and yet, in all the time I've been here I've never once seen you go out"- He took a full 10 seconds to respond

"It's inevitable for people to know you when you live as long as I have"-

"You mean those guards too? Are they…you know?"

"Demons?"- He finished for her. She nodded bashfully averting her eyes to the spot between them- "no, not all of them are demons, but there are a number of… supernatural beings out there, even humans. Some can only sense demon youki, some remember me from years past. Like your roommate at campus".

"Southen? What about her?"- She quirked an eyebrow at his mention of the girl. She had always seemed a little weird to Rin.

"She'd a demon too, her entire family, in fact. There aren't many remaining families in the world. Most of them have mixed with humans and in doing so, they've lost their linage"- he patted his lap indicating for her to put her feet there. She did without complaint.

"What about you? Your brother…"-

"Half-brother"- he interjected

"Your half-brother said something about your youki being locked inside of you. What did he mean? And who are the priestesses?"- She asked eagerly

"200 years ago the world went into a depression, demons and humans alike began to kill amongst each other in order to gain power and territory. Some of the humans thought my father needed to be defeated, some demons too. And so, when he was at his weakest state, they ended up killing him. That cost them nearly 4 million deaths, so it was decided then no demon would be allowed to roam the earth with that much power. That's why they conjured the power of the Shikon no Tama, a pearl that granted its owner the wish of their hearts. The humans asked for all demons to cease to exist and so it happened that demons lost their powers, becoming mere humans in the process"- Rin frowned at that. How was it possible that he could do what he did then?

"I don't understand. You just told me there were still demons out there. Yourself included"

"The Shikon no Tama has a very peculiar way to function and all wishes have a loophole. What really happened was that the weakest demons became humans, some of them died in the transition, but overall, those who could take human form still possessed certain abilities, longevity being one of them. When the priestesses realized their mistake, they decided to reunite a circle of thirteen of them to stop the strongest of us".

"And you were amongst those they wanted to stop"

"Yes. I've been trying to look for a way around it ever since, but it seems there's a trigger to that power which I can't access freely"- her expression turned to shock when he said that

"You mean what you showed me the other day wasn't your real power?"-

"You look like a fish again. It doesn't suit you"- she punched his shoulder playfully and he laughed. She did a double take because _He laughed_. He actually laughed. The sound made her whole body shiver. His laugher was like a whiff of dark chocolate, Rich and intoxicating.

She couldn't hold herself back, she stole a kiss from him. That silenced him abruptly. He was looking at her like _that_ again. She met his gaze with one equally as penetrating as his, before her eyes landed on his lips. Her hands went to his loosened tie, but before she could do anything, he leaned in himself and kissed her. This time, he met her lips hungrily, deeply and passionately.

He laid her down on the couch laying half beside and half over her as one of his legs slid between hers. She panted beneath him in the most sensual way he could ever imagine. His little roommate ran her hands through the side if his torso and then to the front, where she once again took hold of his thin tie and loosened the knot further until it came out. He was too busy ravishing her mouth to notice.

Rin passed her arms around his neck and caressed his hair. She'd been right all along. It was incredibly soft. He groaned in appreciation when she stroked the nape of his neck with her nails. She decided then and there she loved all the noises he made.

He grabbed one of her legs under the knee and pressed their hips together, sighing at the jolt of electricity that made its way between them. Her short red dress rode up her thigh and he took the chance to run his hands though her entire leg, from the ankle to the place where his hands connected with the fabric. He didn't go further though, he was too much of a gentleman for that. And it was killing her.

She grinded her hips to his, and he went still immediately, taking his hand away from her thigh and instead focusing his attentions I her neck. She mentally stomped her foot on the floor at his reluctance to take things any further. She wanted to do this, she wanted him to be her first.

She lifted her hands as best as she could with him still kissing and nibbling her neck and pushed him away from her until he was leaning over her but not pressing her down with his weight

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't hav-" - she put a finger to his lips and brushed it over the bottom before she snapped out of her trance and began to undo the buttons of his shirt. He stayed quiet the whole time, admiring her as she swiftly finished the task at hand before getting her hands over his chest and sliding the shirt off his shoulders

"I'm not"- She kissed him then and all his reserve went out the window, he couldn't remember what he was apologizing for and he honestly didn't care.

That night she cried, her skin melted in his arms, her lips trembled quietly under his tender kisses, her whole body convulsed from the overflow of emotions she couldn't quite control. For a moment, she almost felt embarrassed of letting herself be overwhelmed like that, she felt embarrassed for what he would think of her, but if he noticed, he didn't say a thing.

-.-

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A/N: :) there you have it... feedback?


	15. Chapter 15: of lies and deceit

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters (I swear)

* * *

**Of Lies and Deceit**

She woke up between his arms. That thought alone made her instantly happy.

She looked around at their scattered clothes and smiled remembering the night before. It was already past noon and she still felt like she could keep sleeping contently. She laid her head on his chest and let her hair fall messily all over them.

She doodled all over his chest and giggled quietly and one of his arms tightened around her. When she lifted her eyes to watch him sleeping, she was met instead with his gaze

-"clouds?"- She blushed furiously and his chest moved beneath her with his laughter. She would never get used to that.

- "Yes, well, they were a lot manlier than flowers"- He snorted at that, but didn't say anything else.

- "Sesshoumaru?"- Her heartbeat accelerated at what she was about to ask. For a moment she thought he would be able to feel it. Or hear it. _That's impossible_

- "hn?"- He was stroking her hair distractedly. They barely made it out of the couch the night before.

- "How many..?"- She cleared her throat- "I mean… I… that _obviously_ wasn't your first time, so…well, don't take it the wrong way but…"- She fell quiet, somehow she thought he should have already gotten her meaning, but it seemed like he wanted her to say it out loud.

-"but?"- He sounded serious and he looked serious, but there in his eyes, she knew he was laughing. Her resolve left her immediately. It didn't matter how many people he had been with, he had been her first and that was all that mattered. Never mind the fact that she felt slightly insecure.

-"ah… Nothing, nothing, it doesn't matter"- She blurted hiding her face on his chest once again. This time he did laugh, although quietly enough that it wasn't really noticeable, she only could tell because he moved beneath her.

-"Rin?"

-"huh?"

- "You're killing my arm"- he moved it a little by her side to make his point. She raised her head to check

- "No I'm n..."- he leaned up on his elbows and kissed her softly. Then he rested his forehead on hers, before kissing her again.

- "You were amazing"

Her insecurities just flew out the window

* * *

- "Rin! Open the door! I know you're there!"- The voice in the intercom sounded a little urgent, but she really, really, really, didn't want to deal with that just yet. She rested her face over her arm and kicked her feet underneath the counter. They had barely finished eating.

A look to the left told her that yes; Sesshoumaru knew someone was waiting for her to open the door downstairs. Apparently he was not going to get her out of this- Kikyo wouldn't be here if it weren't important. Despite it all, she does know her place-

He was obviously comparing her other friend to his half brother. She reluctantly pressed the button by the door

"Coming!"- Then she turned half way to the very calm and collected man sitting on the counter where she had been just seconds before- I hate you- He only lifted his mug in her direction, as if making a toast. All she could do was shake her head, she didn't need to tell him to get decent, and she knew he would be presentable by the time she got back. She snuck one last look at his boxer-clad self before the elevator doors closed before her, she had been right, he did look amazing in those.

* * *

By the time she got back to the pent-house (Kikyo in tow) Sesshoumaru was already sitting in his laptop, scribing away furiously and never lifting his gaze from the screen. Apparently, his time spent with Kikyo didn't change the fact that they still felt contempt for one another.

A look to her left confirmed just that as her other friend just regarded the neatly decorated apartment. She didn't even acknowledge him. Suddenly their past meetings seemed even more bizarre than she had first made them out to be.

"Your tastes haven't changed any, Sesshoumaru"- He didn't give any indication he'd heard her – "Some of them, at least"- he hit the last key a little harder than needed.

"Are you going to get to the point?"

"Touchy, I see"- then she turned to face Rin- "there's something we need to tell you"- Sesshoumaru shot her a nasty look and she amended- _I _need to tell you

She didn't like were this was going, so she decided to sit down for the great announcement._ Better safe than sorry- _"You're adopted"- She missed the arm rest and almost fell to the floor before composing herself

She blinked. Once, twice. She opened her mouth to speak, blinked again, closed her mouth and then blinked some more. She then burst out laughing.

-"who knew you had a sense of humor? Not exactly my type of joke… but…"- she then registered the peculiarity of the situation; Sesshoumaru knew about this, he knew what Kikyo was going to say and he wasn't laughing, if anything, his expression was somber. She let the words really sink in- "This has to be a joke"

- "It's not"- She replied dryly- "You were left at the doorstep of the shire were you've lived for your whole life, the Higurashis found you there 19 years ago and they raised you as their own ever since that day".

-"what?"- Her friend rolled her eyes at her, but nevertheless repeated what she had just said

-"I know this isn't easy for you to grasp right now, but there are some other important things that need to be addressed and you had to know this first"

- "No"- She had to be kidding. There was no way, she and her sister were the best friends, everyone always commented on how close they were and how much alike they looked- "No…"- she repeated a little softer this time- "Sesshoumaru?"

He looked at her in that way only he could look at her and she knew there was no joke in Kikyo's statement

"Rin, these attacks downtown, your birth and your family, they're all connected".

"What does that even mean? Are you implying my family's responsible for these attacks?"- She could tolerate the fact that she was not the legitimate daughter of the Higurashis, but she would be damned if she let someone talk ill of them

"No Rin, your family comes from a very ancient line of priests and spiritual beings, your sister was born a priestess, she just can't control it. The day of your birth, you were entrusted to their care because of that. Your mother died soon after".

"What? So now my sister's a priestess? Are you even listening to yourself? Common! You don't even know Kagome!"

"I know enough to tell you the truth you've been denied your whole life"

"How do you even know any of this? Where is this coming from Kikyo? It's like you've been researching my whole life records. Have you been the one stalking me?"

"You know that's not what this is about"- she snapped

"Then what is this about?"- She was beginning to lose her composure, and Sesshoumaru's silence was doing nothing to make her feel better _why the hell did he choose that moment to be quiet and respectful?_

"Rin"- she turned to face him when he spoke at last- "There's nothing we can do to reassure you, but know this, we've been protecting you from the minute you entered our lives. You are _not_ alone and no harm shall befall you as long as you realize that. Would you have rather we lied to you?"

She didn't know what to say. He left her speechless and she knew he was right, but she just wanted to lie down and forget about that day. She couldn't though. He was right; she did need them and their companionship, their protection, their _love_.

"I'm sorry Kikyo"- She muttered reluctantly. She did still feel rather bitter about this.

"To answer your question, I learned about it a just few weeks ago"- Rin suddenly remembered her mysterious meeting with some distant relatives she had wanted to impress. It finally clicked, the whole situation and her friends reluctance to talk about it when she had asked

"You've met them. You met grandpa and my mother. _Their mother"- _she added sourly

"I have"- Despite her much more understanding tone, it was clear Kikyo didn't pity her. She was grateful for that

"But. How..? Why would they do that?"

Kikyo smoothed her shirt free of invisible wrinkles before she answered. It seemed this was the subject she had wanted to discuss to begin with_ so the worse part isn't over… figures._

"I have spiritual powers myself Rin"

"You're a..?"

"Priestess. Yes, actually, there are only twelve of us left in the country, or there were, up until a year ago, at least. Someone's been tracking us down and we think it might have something to do with all this mess in some way"

"And…What does that have to do with me?" – She wasn't getting any of this and her friends weren't really making much sense.

"Your parents, the Higurashis"- she corrected- "they contacted me about you"- She met her eyes, searching for something, she didn't know what it was, though

"I take it they wanted you to keep an eye on me for them"

"It was actually more than that. They received a letter from an anonymous sender about your parents"

"I thought you said they were dead"

Kikyo swallowed then and her eyes left hers for a moment to look at something beyond her shoulder S_esshoumaru_ she thought. It seemed as though she was asking for permission to say something. Before she could lose focus Kikyo cleared her throat lightly- "Rin, the…the man who was killed downtown was, well he was the one who sent the letter, according to the police"

"And?"

"He was your father"

* * *

"I know I should feel sad"- she took the cup he gently handed her- "But I'm not"

Kikyo Had left a couple of hours before, after everything had been cleared up. She had promised to bring her father's last letter as soon as she got it in her hands. Strangely, that didn't mean as much to her as she thought it should have.

-"You didn't know him"- Sesshoumaru replied, not missing a beat

- "But he was my father, I don't know how to feel about him"- she cast her eyes on the foam surface of her hot steaming coffee- "I feel like a horrible person. I don't even miss him"

-"If he spent 19 years ignoring you, he was probably not worth a second thought"- He said, this time his eyes remained on hers, before he went back to stare blankly ahead of him.

- "Maybe there was a stronger reason, why would he write that letter if there wasn't?"

- "Only a fool would think abandoning their child was the safest option for them"- he didn't look at her, but she had a feeling those words were not spoken only for her ears

- "Sesshoumaru, you never told me about your father"- she asked, trying to divert the attention away from her. The look he shot her told her he'd noticed.

Then he considered her question for a moment. He seemed like he wanted to ignore it and she really thought he would, but instead he scoffed under his breath and sipped his own coffee- "what about him?"

"What kind of person was he?"

"He was a very important and respectable man, everyone feared him and he was the world greatest demon for many centuries. I still find it hard to believe sometimes he let himself be killed like that"- His knuckles turned white on the cup he was grabbing and she wondered briefly if he was conscious of it

"That's not what I wanted to know"- She looked his way and sure enough, his stance was so rigid she thought at any minute, he would snap at her- "I meant, what he was like, as a father?"- she added

"He was a despotic bastard"

"Sesshoumaru!"- she exclaimed horrified

"Fine, he was a very respectable heartless father"- He raised an eyebrow- "Is that better?

"Hardly. I thought you were close to your father?"- She knew she hadn't imagined the tone of admiration he used the two times he had previously mentioned his father in their long conversations

"I was… respectful of him. But he left my mother, cheated on her, and then he had that that good for nothing bastard Inuyasha and he got himself killed because of the _other_ woman. My own mother was devastated thereafter, but more than that, it was a deep blow to her pride, to find out she had been put aside for a human and her son"- his tone turned sour, but his words were obviously full of hurt. She now understood why he hated Inuyasha like that. Not that the guy deserved any better, but deep down, she knew no siblings should hate each other that way.

" I'm sorry"

"Don't be. He's been dead for 200 years and my mother's better off without him"- She noticed he didn't say anything about himself- "are you finished?"- He signaled to her cup, but somehow, it sounded like he was talking about her questions.

"I didn't mean to snoop around like that, I'm sorry, I know it's priva...-"-he kissed her then

"Stop apologizing".

"Sesshoumaru?"

"Hn?"

"Southen mentioned something about your…err…linage? A while ago, she told me you reminded him of someone important"-She shook her head into her coffee

"Is that so?"

"Yeah… I think she confused you for some kind of prince or something"- She burst out laughing before she went to look at his eyes- "he wasn't laughing"

"What? You don't think I could be a prince?"- He asked her teasingly. She snorted at that

"Are you?"

"No"

"Exactly"

"My title says lord"- He deadpanned

The coffee she had been drinking returned via her nose, dripping all over the counter

"You're what?"

"Really Rin, I thought you already knew I don't like to repeat myself"

"What do you mean you're a lord? How the hell do you manage to avoid telling me that particular bit of information?"

"I'm just telling you"

"Yes, but that's just because I asked you"- she was astonished by his nonchalance.

"Did you have any business knowing?"

Now, that was offensive. She scoffed under her breath but decided not to push it further. He probably didn't realize he was practically accusing her of being a gold digger.

"It doesn't matter"- she sipped her coffee to avoid telling him what was in her mind. This was Sesshoumaru however, he didn't leave things to chance and he wasn't fooled by her causal answers

"You're upset. Is it that important to you?"- his raised eyebrow dared her to say so, but she wouldn't, because, no, It didn't matter, he was still her best friend, the one who kissed deliciously slow and passionate, the one who offered her shelter and protection, the one who stood by her side. If she was strictly shallow, she would admit he was great looking, but no, his money or status didn't matter to her.

"No"

Exactly.

"Well… were you even going to tell me?"

"You should clean your face, there's still coffee on your chin"

She excused herself quickly and went to the bathroom to clean herself. Then she realized he had never actually answered her question.

* * *

"Rin"-

"Hm?"-

"You're doing it again"

"What?"

"You're smiling like an idiot"

She averted her eyes from the text in her cell phone to what her reflection in the glass in front of her to notice that yes, she was indeed smiling like an idiot. She shrugged casually and then went back to the sketch in front of her. A moment later her cell phone buzzed again. She let out a hearty laugh as she shook her head from side to side.

"God you're worse than school kids with their first crush"- Kikyo muttered under her breath, barely loud enough that she could hear. There was a lot of teasing in her tone though. Truth to be told, Kikyo was rather happy to see she wasn't being miserable about the last news she'd been unfortunate enough to deliver.

"What? w-what are you talking about?"

" There's only one person you could possibly be talking to"

"Who?"

"Sweetheart, you're not fooling anyone. The whole university has already seen you two running around, hugging, chasing each other and studying"- She knew the stress on the last was not accidental

"What? Sesshoumaru? We're just friends"- She went back to the text before her, but Kikyo wasn't finished.

"Friends with benefits? I didn't take you for that kind of girl, but I guess there's always a first time for everything"

"We're not friends with benefits"- she exclaimed. Kikyo raised an eyebrow at that and when she looked around, she got the distinct feeling everyone was looking at her. Great. She cleared her throat- "I mean, were just friends, nothing more"

"Really?"- The tone Kikyo used a little too sarcastic for her tastes, so she decided to change the subject before her friend realized she was lying to her face. Well, technically, not lying. Actually, Sesshoumaru and she hadn't yet discussed what they were and she wasn't sure he would agree to go as her boyfriend. The thought alone made her feel funny inside. Yes, they would need to have that talk sooner or later.

"So, err… have you heard about that gig at that…err…bar?"

"What are you talking about"

"The gig! Yeah… I think it was a guns 'n' roses tribute"- Kikyo scrunched her face like she didn't know where that idea had come from- "we should totally go"- She added before the other got a chance to reply

"Where is this bar anyways?"

"It's uh… a couple of blocks from campus"- She lied. She didn't know a thing about the supposed gig; she'd only heard someone speak about that in the halls- "It could be a girl's night out?"

Kikyo's expression instantly changed at that- "I suppose we could go"- _geeze_. She didn't know how she could ever think she was dating Sesshoumaru; it was painfully obvious now they pretty much hated each other. Her thought then drifted to the shopping bag in her purse. She had stolen that particular one from Sesshoumaru's room two days prior. She didn't know if he hadn't realized or he just didn't want to bring it up.

She didn't exactly want to imagine how that conversation would go down _– Hey Rin, do you happen to know where is a skimpy little piece of lingerie I left in my bedroom? Huh? You mean this one? I stole it a few days ago while I looked through your stuff, nothing too fancy, though I just thought I might use it one of these days to seduce you_

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. The look Kikyo sent her told her she'd missed something.

"Huh?" – Kikyo rolled her eyes and she cringed inside. If she only knew what she was thinking

"I asked you when Rin"

"Ah! Err… Well, I don't know the…ahem! Details yet. I'll let you know though"- She rushed to grab her stuff and left the library as fast as her legs would carry her without actually running. She had some research to do on a certain gig.

That was all the prove Kikyo needed that yes, something had in fact happened between her and Sesshoumaru.

* * *

-Kohaku watched her walk out the building as he waited for the telephone to be answered. The scratchy low voice that answered was one he had been gradually getting used to over the last month or so.

- "I hope this time you have something for me"

- "I do"

- "Let's hear it then"

- "Saturday, she's going to that crappy gig at yakuza bar"

- "How is this any different than that other time?"- he didn't miss the menacing quality the voice had suddenly acquired

- "This time _he _won't be there"- silence reigned on the other side, for a moment he though the connection had fallen, before the man replied

-"very well, boy, you've proven your worth. Come tonight to claim your reward"

Kohaku hung up on the phone, swallowing the rest of his coffee before clutching it in his hands. No, the reward would not be tonight's payment, not even the drugs that man had been providing for him ever since they had started 'working' together. No. The real prize was leaving the library at that very moment.

He dumped the paper cup in the bin and made to follow her; knowing her like he did, she would be heading straight to the ateliers to work on her design projects. He hurried to get his backpack and the binoculars he had left over the table. He didn't want to miss a moment of it. She did look the cutest when she was working.

-.-

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Lovely day for an update, don't you think? lovelier if you review XD


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